Area photographer Jim Via spent time at the Arts & Cultural Council Gallery with me on Tuesday afternoon and shot numerous images of the exhibition. I think you’ll agree that he did an excellent job:
Now I can go join my husband at our cottage and have a relaxing weekend on the water and let all the tensions go.
Yesterday was “installation” day at the gallery for my solo exhibition “Off the Page: Reinventing Alphabets” that opens – today!
I’ll be posting some images of the beautiful gallery space and installation soon, but first, the pieces that I raced to complete this past week and include in the exhibit. I was working on these up to minutes before we loaded the vehicles and drove to the gallery.
Writing in Air III, 24” x 48”, collaged papers on synthetic polyester fabric, cut, manipulated and tacked to a gold-leafed, painted, stretched canvas frame. The usual disclaimer that the photograph does not capture the true colors. I’ll post a better image later once it’s been photographed professionally.
“Book of the Ancients”, 48’ 48”, gold leaf on synthetic fabric, painted, cut and mounted to fiberglass window screen.
Here’s your invitation to the exhibit:
Please come visit if you are in the area! The opening reception will be Friday, June 3, 5 –9 PM at the Arts and Cultural Center for Greater Rochester Gallery, 277 North Goodman St., Rochester, NY.
Perhaps I could cast myself as a news reporter “reporting live” from a battle zone. Perhaps I could choose to identify with Richard Tuttle, the experimental artist in the “Never Not An Artist” documentary I just watched (done by the amazing Paul Gardner), drawing a line on the wall and then carefully tracing that same line with a length of wire to make a minimal and exciting work of art.
Whatever Walter Mitty fantasies pop into my head, there are eight days left to work until I must stop and mount my show – and of course there are still several pieces that I MUST complete.
Unlike the news reporter, I’m not in danger. although I do feel the tingles of risk and uncertainty. Unlike Richard Tuttle, I am not a famous experimental artist. Actually, in my imagination, which god bless it is free of all limitations of time and space, I am soaring with the focus and determination of a hawk hunting for its next meal. The work I’m making is challenging and stimulating me. It’s not perfect – is anything ever? – but it’s heartfelt and innovative and true to my artistic voice.
I’m collaging the whole surface at one time on this 40” x 72” piece – a new variation in my process with this third “Writing in Air” work -- and now that it is dry today, will add suggestions of handwritten texts. After that, I’ll cut the large collage into rectangles, form the tubes and mount them to the prepared canvas.
These two details show how the large surface will break down into rectangles that will become each tube.
Once the rectangles are all composed, this sample shows the cutting pattern I’m planning to use. More loops and flourishes than in the two previous pieces to suggest cursive “writing in air.”
Today I’ll complete the compositions for each rectangle and then begin printing, cutting, composing and mounting.
The following are professional images of the works you’ve seen in process on this blog. Thought you might enjoy seeing the images done properly.
Pages: Crumpled, 48” x48”, 2011
Pages VII, 48” X 48”, 2011
Pages VIII, 48” x 48”, 2011.
These next three will hang together as a triptych on one wall.
The Fluttering Pages of My Life I, 48” x 60”, 2011
The Fluttering Pages of My Life II, 48” x 60”, 2011.
The Fluttering Pages of My Life III, 48” x 60”, 2011
I still am working on completing two more of these vertical “tube” pieces. The one below will be the image I use for my postcard.
Writing in Air, 24” x 48”, 2011.
If you live in the Rochester, NY area, please come hear me talk about my work and inspirations at the Memorial Art Gallery on Thursday, May 12 at 7 PM in conjunction with the FiberArt International exhibition that runs there through July 3, which includes one of my pieces in the collection.
