Tuesday, October 30, 2012

Tuesday, October 23, 2012

studio shots




Call Collect

Squirkle - 2012 - pvc, fiberglass insulation, cast & pigmented water putty, hot glue, animal hair, and hog intestines
This little guy is on view at Hamiltonian Gallery as part of their annual benefit exhibition, Call Collect. Myself and about 100 other local artists were invited to donate small works for the cause. See the online catalogue HERE! There will be a closing reception on Friday, November 9th, from 7-9pm...



Monday, October 15, 2012

fly on the wall?

plastic covered display thingys, hog intestines, hair, and cast silicone rubber

Saturday, October 13, 2012

squwords

squab, squabash, squabashed, squabasher, squabashers, squabashes, squabashing, squabbed, squabber, squabbest, squabbier, squabbiest, squabbing, squabbish, squabble, squabbled, squabbler, squabblers, squabbles, squabbling, squabblingly, squabbly, squabby, squabs, squacco, squaccos. squad, squadded, squadder, squaddie, squaddies, squadding, squaddy, squader, squadrate, squadrism, squadrol, squadron, squadronal, squadrone, squadroned, squadrones, squadroning, squadrons, squads, squail, squailed, squailer, squailers. squailing, squailings, squails, squalene, squalenes, squalid, squalider, squalidest, squalidities, squalidity, squalidly, squalidness, squalidnesses, squaliform, squall, squalled, squaller, squallers, squallery, squallier, squalliest, squalling, squallings, squallish, squalls, squally, squalm, squalodon, squalodont, squaloid, squalor, squalors, squalus, squam, squama, squamaceous. squamae, squamate, squamated, squamates, squamatine, squamation, squamations, squamatogranulous, squamatotuberculate, squame, squamella, squamellae, squamellas, squamellate, squamelliferous, squamelliform, squameous, squames, squamiferous, squamiform, squamify, squamigerous, squamipennate, squamipinnate, squamish, squamocellular, squamoepithelial, squamoid, squamomastoid, squamoparietal, squamopetrosal, squamosa, squamosal, squamosals, squamose, squamosely, squamoseness, squamosis, squamosities, squamosity, squamosodentated, squamosoimbricated, squamosomaxillary. squamosoparietal, squamosoradiate, squamosotemporal, squamosozygomatic, squamosphenoid, squamosphenoidal, squamotemporal, squamous, squamously, squamousness, squamousnesses, squamozygomatic, squamula, squamulae, squamulas, squamulate, squamulation, squamule, squamules, squamuliform, squamulose, squamy, squander, squandered, squanderer, squanderers, squandering, squanderingly. squanderings, squandermania, squandermaniac, squandermanias, squanders, squantum, squarable, square, squareage, squarecap, squared, squaredly, squareface, squareflipper, squarehead, squareheads, squarelike, squarely, squareman, squaremen, squaremouth, squareness, squarenesses. squarer, squarers, squares, squarest, squaretail, squaretoed, squarewise, squarial, squarials, squarier, squaring, squarings, squarish, squarishly, squarishness, squarishnesses, squark, squarrose, squarrosely, squarrous, squarrulose, squarson, squarsonage, squarsonages, squarsonry, squarsons, squary, squash, squashable, squashberry, squashed, squasher, squashers, squashes, squashier, squashiest, squashily, squashiness, squashinesses, squashing, squashs, squashy, squassation, squat. squatarole, squaterole, squatina, squatinid, squatinoid, squatly, squatment, squatmore, squatness, squatnesses, squats, squattage, squatted, squatter, squatterarchy, squatterdom, squattered, squattering, squatterism, squatterproof, squatters, squattest, squattier, squattiest, squattily, squattiness, squattinesses, squatting, squattingly, squattish, squattle, squattled, squattles, squattling, squattocracies, squattocracy, squattocratic, squatty, squatwise, squaw, squawberries, squawberry, squawbush, squawdom, squawfish, squawfishes. squawflower, squawk, squawked, squawker, squawkers, squawkie, squawkier, squawkiest, squawking, squawkingly, squawkings, squawks, squawky, squawl, squawler, squawman, squawmen, squawroot, squawroots, squaws, squawweed, squdge, squdgy, squeak, squeaked, squeaker, squeakeries. squeakers, squeakery, squeakier, squeakiest, squeakily, squeakiness, squeakinesses, squeaking, squeakingly, squeakings, squeaklet, squeakproof, squeaks, squeaky, squeakyish, squeal, squeald, squealed, squealer, squealers, squealing, squealings, squeals, squeam, squeamish, squeamishly, squeamishness, squeamishnesses, squeamous, squeamy, squeasy, squeege. squeegee, squeegeed, squeegeeing, squeegees, squeegeing, squeel, squeezabilities, squeezability, squeezable, squeezableness, squeezably, squeeze, squeezebox, squeezeboxes, squeezed, squeezeman, squeezer, squeezers, squeezes, squeezier, squeeziest, squeezing, squeezingly, squeezings, squeezy, squeg, squegged, squegger. squeggers, squegging, squeggings, squegs, squelch, squelched, squelcher, squelchers, squelches, squelchier, squelchiest, squelchily, squelchiness, squelching, squelchingly, squelchingness, squelchings, squelchy, squelette, squench, squencher, squet, squeteague, squeteagues, squetee, squib, squibbed, squibber, squibbery. squibbing, squibbings, squibbish, squibcrack, squiblet, squibling, squibs, squibster, squid, squidded, squidder, squidding, squiddle, squidge, squidged, squidgereen, squidges, squidgier, squidgiest, squidging, squidgy, squids, squier, squiers, squiff, squiffed, squiffer, squiffers, squiffier, squiffiest, squiffy, squiggle, squiggled, squiggles, squigglier, squiggliest, squiggling, squiggly, squilgee, squilgeed, squilgeeing, squilgeer. squilgees, squilgeing, squill, squilla, squillae, squillagee, squillageed, squillageeing, squillageing, squillas, squillery, squillgee, squillgeed, squillgeeing, squillgeing, squillian, squillid, squillitic, squilloid, squills, squimmidge, squin, squinacy, squinance, squinancies, squinancy, squinant, squinch, squinched, squinches. squinching, squinied, squinies, squinnied, squinnier, squinnies, squinniest, squinny, squinnying, squinsy, squint, squinted, squinter, squinters, squintest, squintier, squintiest, squinting, squintingly, squintingness, squintings, squintly, squintness, squints, squinty, squiny, squinying, squirage, squirages, squiralities, squirality, squiralties, squiralty, squirarch, squirarchal, squirarchical, squirarchies. squirarchs, squirarchy, squire, squireage, squireages, squirearch, squirearchal, squirearches, squirearchical, squirearchies, squirearchy, squired, squiredom, squiredoms, squireen, squireens, squirehood, squirehoods, squireless, squirelet, squirelike. squireling, squirelings, squirely, squireocracy, squires, squireship, squireships, squiress, squiresses, squiret, squirewise, squiring, squirish, squirism, squirk, squirl, squirm, squirmed, squirmer, squirmers, squirmier, squirmiest, squirminess, squirming, squirmingly, squirms, squirmy, squirr, squirred. squirrel, squirreled, squirrelfish, squirrelfishes, squirrelian, squirreline, squirreling, squirrelish, squirrelled, squirrellike, squirrelling, squirrelly, squirrelproof, squirrels, squirrelsstagnate, squirreltail, squirrely, squirring, squirrs, squirt, squirted, squirter, squirters, squirtiness, squirting, squirtingly, squirtings, squirtish, squirts, squirty, squish, squished, squishes, squishier, squishiest, squishiness, squishinesses, squishing, squishy. squiss, squit, squitch, squitches, squitchy, squits, squitter, squitters, squiz, squizzes, squoosh, squooshed, squooshes, squooshier, squooshiest, squooshing, squooshy, squoze, squshier, squshiest, squshy, squush, squushed, squushes, squushier, squushiest, squushing, squushy,

ideas for sculptures?

watercolor and graphite on paper
watercolor and graphite on paper

Monday, October 8, 2012

nina saunders


Those Dorothea Tanning sculptures remind me of these works by Nina Saunders...






dorothea tanning


I just encountered Dorothea Tanning's soft sculptures in a book I checked out from the library called Surreal Objects. I've been thinking a LOT about surreal objects lately and how my newer assemblage works might somehow fit into that lineage... but more on that later. Dorothea Tanning just recently died earlier this year at the age of 101. She's probably best known for her work as a painter and as the wife of famed surrealist Max Ernst. When I hear the name Dorothea Tanning, this is typically what comes to mind...

Though her paintings are quite incredible - I also really really enjoy her sculptures! Check out her website for LOTS of images and descriptions of works... it's a really great resource.




the world as sculpture


I came across this book this weekend in Philadelphia's Free Library... and it so so SO very good! I spent hours poring over a chapter called The Education of the Sense: Child's Play - which talks about early Montessori schools and their emphasis on TOUCH - "The lost paradise of touch could be regained." I love this quote by Walter Benjamin...
Children are particularly fond of haunting any site where things are being visibly worked upon... In using these things they do not so much imitate the works of adults as bring together, in the artifact produced in play, materials of widely differing kinds in a new intuitive relationship. Children thus produce their own small world of things within a greater one.                                                                                    
                                                                                                          Walter Benjamin
This reminds me VERY MUCH of some of the things Nikolas Berdyev has to say about "man as microcosm" in his book, The Meaning of the Creative Act.

The next chapter, which I didn't get to finish (the library was closing, and I don't live in PA so I couldn't take it with me) is called HOLLOWS AND BUMPS IN SPACE! This is thesis  material, no doubt - right up my alley. Hall suggests that while the Neo-Classicists were obsessed with surfaces, the Modernists have been obsessed with orifices.

I love holes... they're a means of escape or access. They're sexual. Holes are really interesting because they're not there. I like the joke about the guy who dug the holes out of the ground and put them on a truck.                    
                                                                                                                      Damien Hirst

Thinking about holes in this way is also making me think about CONTRANYMS - words with 2 definitions that are opposites of eachother... ex. CLEAVE - means both to bring together AND to divide... hmmmm

The first hole made through a piece of stone is a revelation. The hole connects one side to the other, making it immediately more three-dimensional. A hole can itself have as much shape-meaning as solid mass... The mystery of the hole - the mysterious fascination of caves in hillsides and cliffs.
                                                                                                                      Henry Moore

This has me thinking a lot about POSITIVE and NEGATIVE space...

Tuesday, October 2, 2012

james rosenquist

Industrial Cottage - 1977 - oil on canvas - 80 x 182 in.  - Smithsonian American Art Museum

This painting always catches my eye when I'm in the American Art Museum (home to my favorite modern/contemporary art collection in DC - so humble and smartly curated). The yellow in the far right is MUCH more neon in person. Unfortunately, the rest of Rosenquist's work doesn't do much for me - but I really do love this one!

Monday, October 1, 2012

student work

My students have been hard at work on their plaster body/form projects. I'm so proud of what they've come up with! Below are some images of their finished work. Have I mentioned how much I LOVE teaching? It's been so fun to help them along with their projects, to see them discover new formal/material/conceptual possibilities. Did I mention how proud I am?

Mahlet Asrat (front), Monica Peretta (left), and Miyah Taylor (right)

Carly Uhlman

Kaitlyn Schmieser (front), Kathi Ha (back)

Kathi Ha

Rachel Handler


Stephen Baird

Monica Peretta (front), Miyah Taylor (back)

Michael Ekong

Alejandro Valencia