A Book About Death - Memento

A Book About Death - Memento
Willo North Gallery, Phoenix, AZ opening May 6th


My first entry (postcard) graphite on tracing paper.

I actually witnessed a crow trying to fly with a chicken bone on the front lawn of my son's house. It scared me... so I drew it... it always reminds me of death. (feather memento)

My second entry, (postcard) copy of a lithograph

I made this several years ago in response to a Walt Whitman poem "A Clear Midnight" (my favorite) it's a little more gentle but again dealing with death "away from books... the day done... night, sleep, death, the stars..." (Whitman poem memento)

Phoenix based artist Patricia Sahertian has organized an A Book About Death - Memento (ABAD) exhibit for May 2011. Following the tradition that started with the original ABAD show at the Emily Harvey Gallery in NYC 2009. The Phoenix show asks for a small memento to be sent along with the postcard art giving the exhibit a unique twist on the original format.

I have contributed to the ABAD shows at MOMA Wales, Long Island and now Phoenix. Go to the website for the current entries in the Phoenix ABAD show. And for information about shows past, present and upcoming you can look at the ABAD archives.

Artists from around the world contribute original art in postcard form to be displayed and then kept together permanently as an unbound artist book. Everything is documented and exhibited online as well as in a gallery. VERY INTERESTING TO SEE HOW ARTISTS SEE OR FEEL DEATH. All shows have an open call for all artists. This concept, expanding internationally, has taken place in many locations in the USA: South Carolina, Texas, Omaha and Long Island, as well as Brazil, Italy and Wales.

BUT FIRST, Finishing up

A Book About Death.

Before I get started on my larger pieces, I haveto finish up started projects. A Book About Death (http://abookaboutdeatharchive.blogspot.com/) is a traveling juried postcard show originating in NYC, the idea of Matthew Rose, which then went on to MOMA Wales, UK, where the above was included. The current show "ABAD-OMAHA" is in Omaha NE (August) another will be at CW Post College Campus LI NY and another at Willo North Gallery in Phoenix AZ. (http://willonorth.blogspot.com/) Each location asks for artists to submit a work about death. It has been hugely successful and generated enough entries to fill whole galleries. Very interesting to see the different responses.

New thoughts about death.

After our lose this summer, I thought more about the spiritual rather than the physical side of death. I'm experimenting with plaster molds of religious icons and talismans, objects of comfort, for casting paper for the next ABAD show in NY. I love making plaster molds - even made some of buttons - not sure why yet ! hmmmm

Photographs recycled, mangled images, grey slurry.

I had the good fortune to meet a conscientious photographer and artist, Mark Tierney (http://www.markstierney.com/), who gave me several large imperfect works on very fine paper to recycle, enough for 3, 2lb beater loads- tree free rag paper. Mark uses large format photography with a unique printing method to photograph woodland settings that will take your breath away. I hated to rip up these beautiful images but used the pulp to experiment with sizings. I usually use cornstarch but used potato starch (Staylok) this time and found it much better for my purpose. I will be making small sketchbooks and journals for the Friends of Dard Hunter Paper Conference in Gatlingborough TN in October and also using the papers to finish my series of "Button Tales" accordion books. Almost done !

Grey, Tan, Thick, Thin, Smooth, Tooth

Some of the photograph pulp papers. I prefer the air dried papers but the forced air dried has a wonderful finished "tooth" for pencil work....very happy with this. I added some of my beloved sea grass to the pulp for texture and color, the grey was just too much like cardboard. I hope I don't loose my notes... I rarely make the same paper twice from memory...organize, organize,organize.