THE EROSION SERIES
Reduction. The Erosion Series is about seeing the beauty in the natural event of decay and building an aesthetic around it. Like the Japanese wabi-sabi; the acceptance of transience and imperfection—I repurpose and create new life out of past work or begin anew on fresh panels or paper. Inside the studio and out, observing the natural decay of the life cycle has made me appreciate that within reduction the more possibility there will be.
ABSTRACT COLLAGES & PAINTINGS
As I quietly paint, I have both decisive moments and an earnest, listening eye. In the midst of this what occurs is nuance, serendipity, intuitive associations, chaos, and reduction. Working with abstraction allows me to explore the boundaries between positive and negative space while combining unusual textures and different media. I begin this work flat while adding and subtracting subtle and intense color as well as exploring various types of heavy texture. I allow the water based media to flow and puddle in the valley’s of marks and textures that were first laid down, enhancing the interaction with paint, inks or collaged hand-made papers gradually adding multiple layers that begin to form the foundation of the urban collages, urban grids, urban botanicals, character botanicals or weavings. Once color and chaos is achieved across the surface, the pieces then go up on my painting wall where I begin the reduction process. I am fascinated with the push/pull of creating civilizations and nature taking them back. The urban collages begin with an intuitive combination of handmade papers, recycling old calendars & periodicals and discarded print proofs from my book arts practice. For the grid paintings I begin by taping off the areas of the surface that interest me to begin the formation of the urban street grid as I build the composition between positive and negative space. The urban botanicals focus more on the relationship between natures relentless botanical growth in the nooks and crannies of urban architecture. The character botanicals explore eroded botanicals shapes seen through the window of letter forms that make a hidden word. The making of these paintings & collages is as much a physical experience as a psychological one. I embrace and process the nuances of this work and use the outcome as a vehicle to communicate a narrative about humanity and the natural world around me that exists outside of language.
WEAVINGS
LIFE IS A LOOM, WEAVING ILLUSION. Vachel Lindsay
This direction was started with sandpaper remnants from the reduction process of my Erosion Series panels. I’m a big believer in repurposing materials in the studio just as nature uses everything that decays to create new life. Using discarded paintings on Arches 300 LB watercolor paper, I start by painting over the existing piece allowing areas that I like to remain. The weavings begin with the vertical strips, (the warp), as this is the foundation of the composition. The horizontal strips, (the weft), are examined, used or discarded in an intuitive approach as I continue to construct the weaving.
In Large Scale Weaving #3, I introduced a large pod shape as a bridge from the Pod paintings. The dark brown/black area of the pod was created with an “oil spill” — a large area of liquid asphalt suspended in oil base polyurethane. I chose rebar for the armature — a product of the industrial revolution which is the single most corrosive contributor of the Earth's climate change.
The final step is the stitching with waxed thread that connects me with my late Mother who was a seamstress & nurse. The long strands left with the tie-off at the bottom represent hair roots. All life is interwoven—the removal of one strand begins the fraying process and makes the weaving incomplete.
BOOK ARTS
Every book project is a wonderful puzzle that requires a different approach for each concept and binding method that is pursued. In WEAVE (Live), I created a visual chronology of the stages of life through sandpaper weavings and chose coptic binding for the openness of the exposed spine + the ancient quality that works well with weaving. For Ode to Sumi Ink, I chose the accordion fold to highlight the flowing nature of sumi ink as this binding method is one long sheet. With aperçu, I bound 28 disparate pages together with the miniature tied binding method as this suited the overall concept of using up bits of discarded art elements & copy and highlights how every art endeavor leads to the next.
Through a wonderful group of fellow book artists I have come to love the complexity and simplicity of the craft. Book Arts @ The Open Press here in Chattanooga has opened a whole new doorway in the house of art that I have gladly stepped through.