I'm interested in reciprocal play that manifests in subtle ways. The interacting colors and shapes of my prints flow into each other coordinating the momentary space between dreaming and being fully conscious. I use papers, heat and paint to explore similar landscapes in an immediate way. These works are spontaneous and uncontrolled much like the fleeting memory of yesterday’s thoughts.
Shiny Object monoprints are made using paper for a matrix with pigmented beeswax as ink. The handmade papers I cut my matrices from have many variations on each sheet. These variations are considered to be part of the theme of the series. Possibilities for random changes in course of making these prints are infinite, much like the changes in the Death Star over the course of the Star Wars science-fiction franchise of films. Some echo of pattern and shape of each paper plate will always be present in each print of the series. The special effects from ultra-concentrated metallic paints allow a secondary halo color to appear while printing. These halos emanate from the metallic lines and solid areas and remind me of barbed wire encircling a globe struggling to survive.
The Death Star in the STAR WARS science-fiction franchise created by George Lucas was the Empire’s ultimate weapon: a moon-sized space station with the ability to destroy an entire planet. But the Emperor and Imperial officers like Grand Moff Tarkin underestimated the tenacity of the Rebel Alliance, who refused to bow to this technological terror…
Curtain wall in architecture means a covering made of glass outside the building. These are used only to keep weather out of and people in the structure. The systems are designed to absorb sway from wind and support their own weight. I am attracted to the shimmer of color in these walls and how they allow natural light to enter the building. Stonehenge is a prehistoric monument made of stone in England. It is thought to have purpose utilizing light as well. The stones are set to align towards sunrise on the summer solstice. It is also unique in that mortise and tenon joints were used in construction. Etymology of the name Stonehenge means “stones supported in the air” in writings from the first century of the 2nd millennium.
My series Curtain Wall is made of shapes like the stones in the ruins of Stonehenge but are stacked instead of vertically arranged. Panes of glass in a curtain wall are stacked in vertical grids. Visual shimmer in this work comes from pigmented beeswax paints which have a color shift when printed on black paper. These materials mimic play of natural light depending on time of day when used in a curtain wall for modern buildings.
Stonehenge also contains humans; bones have been dated to 3000 BC at the site in deposits. So, both a curtain wall and the monument contain humans. I know it is not realistic to think that stones can hang in the air, but it is entertaining to think so.