It's been a minute, hasn't it?! This semester has been keeping me on my toes, in stitches, and busy busy busy. For once I have a chunk of time for myself - me, no one else - and I am able to catch up on some things that have fallen to the side. Finally... I can talk about ArtLab3! To begin with, a little background on ArtLab3..
"ArtLAB3 began with an open call for proposals from NMU School of Art & Design students during the Fall semester. Museum staff juries the proposals for short-run exhibitions in smaller exhibition spaces in the rear gallery of the museum. Featuring work by individual students, collaborative student groups, and course-driven projects curated by NMU School of Art & Design faculty. Through March 8, the mini-spaces will be rotated to show all winning proposals" - Cited from DeVos Art Museum website.
When my pieces from Individual Art Review were accepted into ArtLab and I installed my work
in the big gallery it was such a huge moment of pride. Even more so when my
family came from out of state and my friends showed up for the reception. Many
moments have led to where I am now but I will never forget how proud my friends
and family were upon seeing my work and installation. I am very grateful to the
DeVos for giving me that opportunity to showcase my talents.
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| my mom pointing out her own father's name on the x-ray.. |
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| me, running my mouth haha |
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| My mom actually taught me how to get the TV working! |
The biggest challenge in this process was learning to accept whatever mistakes were made or directions were taken. The 3D prints were designed and printed in the Digital Learning and Design Lab (DLDL) on NMU’s campus over the course of several months of experimentation and, frankly, many failed attempts. The DLDL has four Makerbot 3D printers which I was able to use along with Makerbot software and TinkerCAD to play and perfect my creative processes. The prints are rendered from the original drawings and present a new view of the existing lines on the paper. The 3D prints also create a more accurate sense of scale and allow viewers to touch and handle the physical manifestation of the ailment or creation.
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| Photo for scale - I HAD A LOT OF SPACE, OKAY?! |
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| artifacts - x-rays |
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| the museum generously allowed me to use a monitor to display in-progress images |
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| Large inkjet prints... I emphasize the word large. |
Inkjet canvas prints were created from scanned images of the drawings using Photoshop for editing and resizing. A large format HP photo printer in the DLDL was the primary source of these large image experiments and final renderings.
The canvases were actually sewn and stitched into their final display format by my grandmother, grandfather, father, and myself – which creates a cyclical and familial relationship to the works over all. A selection of people who were represented in the series of works came together to finish constructing their images, environments, and stories. That connection was unintentional but it became evident to me that it was monumentally important for these people to be involved in the hands-on creation of the final works.
Excerpt from statement:
Each group of four drawings operates as
a series and represents a different person or people, condition or event. I
draw directly onto standard sketchbook paper using Micron pens of varying
sizes. The biggest challenge in this process is learning to accept whatever
mistakes are made or directions are taken. The 3D prints of the drawings
present a new view of the existing lines on the paper and create a more
accurate sense of scale. Prints were created from scanned images of the
drawings. Each person’s condition has been translated into structures and
patterns unique to their individual story, creating identities through form and
shape, through line density and overlap – decided during the execution of the
drawings. Though not every found object, result, or artifact depicted in the
series lead to a happy end or story, the catharsis of creating the works
lightens the difficult emotional burdens I have carried with me over time.
Iteration
1
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
2
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
3
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
4
Micron
Pen on Paper
Papa: Series Two
Iteration
1
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
2
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
3
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
4
Micron
Pen on Paper
Parents: Series
Three
Iteration
1
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
2
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
3
Micron
Pen on Paper
Iteration
4
Micron
Pen on Paper
Excerpt from statement:
Vicissitudes are natural changes or
mutations, which are usually out of the realm of human control or prediction.
Cancers, diseases, broken bones, deterioration, and conversely growth and
healing can all be considered vicissitudes. In the past few years a number of
my family members have had several serious health issues. Vicissitudes is a collection of highly detailed, abstract drawings,
spanning across several years of these life altering and often frightening
situations. Living nearly four hundred miles away from most of the people
involved in the series created a literal distance, while hearing about family
members’ respective conditions through indirect messages produced an
overpowering emotional distance. I realized in order to create a series which evoked
both healing and acceptance, for my own mental and emotional health, I needed
to mask the true nature of images so I could begin to view them in
a different way. Numerous personal artifacts and
references including: X-rays, MRI scans, surgical photography, test results,
and medical papers supplemented my process of reconstructing technical and
highly personal information into abstract drawings. The structures I have
designed loosely reference the body parts and systems being addressed in the
aforementioned objects, events, and stories.
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| chatty chatty... explaining work to visitors |
I want to extend a huge THANK YOU to my friends, family, and everyone who took the time to attend the reception(s) on January 16th. You are all the best support I could ever hope for and I enjoy sharing my work and life with you all so much. ArtLab was a hugely important experience for me to have as an artist and person, and you're all my favorite people here in the woods. So thank you for being there from near and far - it means the world to me...
And to my readers - you being here, with your eyeballs on my webpage, is also pretty cool when I think about it. So thank you, as well, for taking the time to peer into the madness that is my life. I hope to continue my insane amounts of work and with that -- it's time to catch up on another post!
So stay tuned - I've got big things in the works :)
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| Happy happy :) |
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