Yay! We're on!
Sorry I haven't posted anything yet-- I've been making art! First time in a while, so I desperately need your honest feed back. I apologize for the poor quality of the locust photos. I need Photoshop. Boo.
This piece brought in a nice little cash prize. I'm thinking one could make a decent living applying to juried shows in small towns. :) My carpet is littered with pieces of these little guys. Anyhoo, the inspiration came from reading Mark, about John the Baptist. I was fascinated how the earthiest of earthy guys (honey in his veins, bug-munching) was the first to welcome God in flesh, to prepare the way for His message. And we know how (or Annie does) I love telephone wires... you know lines of communication, blah blah... Then, (Lisa will love this) I read how locust are drawn together in times of crisis as they release seratonin (the happy chemical). I love this innate need they have for each other. And I love the how they're gross bugs, but they totally fueled this tres necessary guy, John the Baptist.
I love writing informally like this! Do I make sense?
'Kay, the other pic is of my wasp nest made from the dryer lint that you lovely folks gave me. I think it needs a few more layers/ fine tuning. The balloon is still in it. I'm afraid it shall collapse when I pop it. We'll see...
And here's my statements a/b the nest (I had to submit one for a show entry). I don't like the title, so I'm open to other suggestions.
My most recent work examines how our physical location shapes our concept of home. Thus, I became interested in wasps’ communal process of building a nest in which they gather decaying elements of their surrounding environment to form a shared habitat. I mimicked this process as I collected cast off dryer lint from friends to create a nest. The nest hangs from an electrical cable, referencing technological constructs upon which we depend to maintain relationships. I find this connectedness to both people and locale vital to a sense of home, ephemeral as it may be.
Wow Tor -- when I talk to you on the phone you sound like you are artistically dragging, but here it looks like you are on a roll, honestly. And all that work on your facebook page -- is that all new? Looks like you have a new body of work! Are the locusts coming off of the wall on pins? If so, does this also reference collecting/ gathering/ insect collections? Not insect collections specifically, but the idea of "fixing" something in place, especially if it is fragile, giving it a recognized place, thereby giving it value? The difference between a dead bug on a rug and under glass is the one under glass has been given a place of recognition -- kind of like you gathering the lint and "recognizing" it by making it into something new. I am fascinated that they release seratonin in community in a time of crisis! This is amazing. Looks like I will have to branch out into looking at other insects besides bees -- who also have this amazing community thing -- they are like amazon women (in terms of how organized they are -- they rock -- but enough about that!). And it is incredible that this gross-ish, plague causing creature fueled the herald of Jesus. They can nourish and destroy -- a lot like humans when they get together in groups. I think you hit on a powerful image -- you could go with this for awhile! Congrats on the prize too!
ReplyDeleteOh, Lis, your comments meant so much to me. Thanks. This is proof that I desperately needed this forum.
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