Week Eight

There is no end to cool vintage trunks and luggage that come to the dump. I'm hoping to work these into some pieces, but if I don't they will end up in the "free pile" which is up for grabs to the public on opening night of the show (Sept.26th, 5 pm). It's first come first pick, so get there early if you want the best of my discards.

Week Seven

I just finished a couple more pieces made from the reclaimed lattice. Each one is definitely taking on very distinct characteristics. The subtle differences in each batch of disassembled lattice can really change how I decide to work it into a form. I'm intrigued by the geometry and weaving of each and how that shifts the feel or reading of the piece. This last one (below), to me, feels very tribal. When it was on the ground it felt like a marker for a distinct event or site (e.g. burial, sacred).


Later after completing it I hung it on the wall to free up some floor space. I like it with the plain white backdrop, but I think I prefer it sitting on the ground. On the wall it is almost mask-like, the mouth of a large fish comes to mind as well.

Detail

A quick test for another piece.

Finished form.

Week Six

Try as I may to slow the collecting down, I can't help going out into the dumping area for at least a little while every day I'm in my studio. A lot of personal histories make their way to the dump for one reason or another. I find it incredibly interesting and disheartening when sorting through family photographs, scrapbooks, and other personal records that get thrown out with a whole household of items. This week I came across a WWII trunk complete with photographs of a very young Chinese Private and his battalion, uniform, tobacco rationing card, v-mail, and other personal items. Though I didn't really have plans for the material for a particular art piece, I found myself caught up in a portion of this persons life history for a couple of hours.

Getting an intimate glimpse of someones history through their personal belongings is fascinating even when it is terribly incomplete. One day while sorting through the rubble I came across a box truck emptying the contents of someones house ( a very common occurrence). I was stunned to discover boxes and boxes and laundry baskets filled with Harlequin Romance novels. There were hundreds of them. I immediately imagined a woman's life (though one should never assume) filled with nothing but romantic fantasy. Those books must have been all this person read. The things we harbor in our homes throughout life certainly do tell a story.

Week Five

Another week and I have enough lattice to make another piece. The part of this process that I really enjoy is working with the material "as is". I've decided not to cut or measure anything, I simply use them as I find them, breaks and fractures included. I usually organize the various sticks by length then assemble everything by eye. The pieces are stacked and stapled together in the same manner it was originally constructed, but in a very different form than its previous lattice pattern.


I decided this one was best on the wall. I'm finding it hard to decide which side of these objects is more interesting. The interior and exterior are so drastically different on this piece. (See below for the interior view of the piece above)

James (one of the AIR programs employees who is often in and out of the studio) suggests a mirror on the wall behind the piece. I just happen to have a couple in my collection. The result is a glimpse of the contrasting calm interior. There is also an optical illusion of viewing beyond the wall to which it is hung. The subtle glow of light coming between the slats is pleasant.

Looking into the eye of the storm.

Taking Shape

The lattice is free of rusty nails and I am able to experiment with different methods of stacking the pieces together. I really like the compound curves that are created from the fanning of straight lines.