Dinoflagellate Dreams

After taking oceanography, I've been fascinated by the beautiful forms of phytoplankton, as well as the biological function of photosynthesis which they perform.  They are very tiny, yet can take nutrients and energy, and synthesize them into food.  This process, as well as the aesthetic properties of the form, draws strong allusions to Native American dream catchers in my mind.  Both make something out of nothing.  In these pieces, I'm trying to manifest the parallels and juxtaposition of the biological and the spiritual, in an attempt to show that both can intermingle at times.  These are sketches for a commission for Palmer Commons, where fiber will be used to make larger than life hanging phytoplankton/ dream catcher forms.

 

I'm also working on a large scale print to express this concept as well.

stuff that's been taking over my life

 

Water Project

So after about 20 hours of carving and 9 gashes on my right hand, here's my key block for my water portfolio project!

My plan is to either carve another block for the water inside the glasses, or use ink mixed with a high amount of oil in a monotype to create water like forms.  In terms of color, I would like to print the block in a light blue color, and have the water in the glasses be a darker blue, and possibly have some cups be red, with a cream background, or printed on cream paper.  It could also be very interesting to print the block twice on the same sheet, flipped in opposite directions. 

As for the noise in the background, I feel as though it could be a happy accident.  I'm not sure if it could make the print too busy, or just not print well, but the forms have the potential to be very interesting.  I will probably do multiple proofs in different colors and methods before I decide on the final print.  I am super excited for all of the potential that this block has!

40 days and 40 nights

Here's a quick little linocut that I did yesterday of loaves of bread in a desert. It is inspired by the story of Jesus wandering the desert for 40 days and 40 nights, of what Catholics now celebrate as lent.  At one point in the story, the devil tempts Jesus saying “If you are the Son of God, command that these stones become loaves of bread.”Jesus says in reply, “It is written: One does not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes forth from the mouth of God.”  

It is easy to fall prey to temptation.  Sometimes it is not a cut and dry as black and white, good and evil.  The things which tempt us can seem attractive, appealing, or even rational. But, in reality, they look as out of place as loves of bread in the desert.  It is a very interesting contradiction because bread is a symbol of salvation and sacrifice though the Eucharist, but in this context, it is a symbol of temptation. This piece is meant to serve as a reminder to the things which tempt us on a daily basis.

I would like to expand on this idea with a few different modes of output.  In the realm of printmaking,  I would like to make a larger, much more detailed woodcut of this image, with multiple colors. and possibly incorporate some sort of text which goes along with the whole theme of temptation.  Also, I would like to rework this image to make a continuous matrix.  It would be interesting to print the image side by side, and have all the images connect to make one large desert. I like the way which the image almost becomes abstracted when juxtaposed to its reflected image.

 
This image would also make a great oil painting with a Dali -type surrealist imagery and soft impressionist like brush strokes and color. The image which I photo shopped really grew on me. It almost reminds me of Monet's haystack series.  Portraying the bread in different lights and seasons could be very interesting in the context of a stream of consciousness and what it means in terms of temptation.

 

Water Water Everywhere

I am super excited for my printmaking class' portfolio! A body of print media work is typically contained in a portfolio, which is a collection of various prints by different artists centering around a common theme.  Our class's theme is water, which is the theme for the current LSA semester.

My initial response to this prompt was to do something which was great lakes related.  One thing that all true Michiganders are proud of is the 20% of the world's freshwater which sits in our backyard.  Although we appreciate what a beautiful and precious natural resource the great lakes are, the rest of the world looks at them as waste dumps, and fresh water for the taking. I am very interested in rendering textures of things in my work, so I decided to portray the great lakes as droplets of water, as to show how ridiculous it is to think of them as being so insignificant.  The lino cut I did of the image didn't really turn out too great, and I did a photo emulsion screen print of the droplets, which I accidentally did backwards.  After a few failed attempts, I decided that this idea was a lost cause, and went back to the drawing board.  Sometimes good ideas just don't pan out formally the way which you would like them to, and it is better to start from scratch than working with an idea which feels uninspired.

I am now interested in water's physical and spiritual qualities more so than in the context of being a precious natural resource.  Over my spring break, I went to Nashville with my church to do community service.  Although most of the work which we did was with refugees from foreign countries, many of the people which we worked with were effected immensely by the floods this past year.  Many people lost their homes, families, jobs, and businesses to the flood.  Although all of this unrest has come about because of the flood, the people of Nashville and surrounding areas came together to help each other out. I immediately drew the analogy of this flood to Noah's ark, and how water can be destructive, yet provide renewal and hope.  I find this dual quality of water to be very interesting in the context of spirituality and philosophy; good things can happen to bad people, and bad things can happen to good people, but in the end, all that matters is how we deal with the things that happen to us, and the things which happen to others, regardless of if it is good or bad.

                      
I found the metaphor of the glass being "half empty" vs. being "half full" to manifest this concept well visually.  I'm working with images of vessels full of water, and rotating them so that some are upside down.  I like having a variety of glasses to convey how this mindset is applicable to any situation, but I'm not sure if having a standard glass of water would make the concept be a little more clear?  Also, having the glasses which are upright reflected on the bottom might make a little more sense. I think that the final print will consist of a screen print, possibly a photo emulsion of a pen and ink drawing of the glasses, with mono type water forms in the glasses. I like the notion of contrast between the rigid, almost architectural forms of the screen-printed glasses with the fluidity of mono type water. 

Warp and Weft

So I think I'm finally done with my fabric paintings! I've struggled with giving the fabric the fluid quality of water.  My original concept was to draw an analogy between nature and humans through the way the fabric, a human made entity, flows like water, and also how the warp and weft of fabric resembles the molecular structure of water. But, since I've had so much trouble making the fabric look as though it flows like water, I've found that humans can never imitate nature perfectly.  Although synthetic, what we make can be beautiful, and problematic.

As an artist, sometimes you just have to be willing to accept that not everything goes according to plan, and sometimes you just have to roll with the punches, and pray that it all works out in the end.  If I have an unlimited amount of time, I could have probably worked into these paintings for months, and still not achieve my desired aesthetic.  Although my end result wasn't what I planned, I am still very happy with my piece.  It was an ambitious undertaking, and in the end it has made me a better painter.

Cellulose

Cellulose, Potato print/ painting, acrylic on canvas. Inspired by cellular structure of plants. Its nice to make a piece every once in a while which isn't the product of meticulous planning and sketching and evolves organically. Nature presents a strange paradox; it is the product of order and balance, yet somehow accommodates the unpredictable chaos of life.