Mind. HeART. Health. at the Grosse Pointe Art Center

My art submitted for the Grosse Pointe Artist Association's  Mind. HeART. Health. exhibition at the Grosse Pointe Art Center utilized a process of deconstruction inspired by the artist Orly Avineri which encouraged ripping, tearing, leaving ragged edges and only the book cloth spine to tenuously connect the front and back covers of vintage books used as the base of each piece. The threads used to sew the page signatures together became expressive dangling lines. Every little bit from the deconstructed book was laid out in an orderly fashion to reveal all the rich texture that was hidden when the book was whole.

The process of assembling the final art pieces was dependent on taking the time and attention to look at each piece individually and to consider how the placement of each added piece was informed by the previously placed element.

The two pieces I have submitted represent an awakening of creativity that until the point of creation had been dormant and uninspired. Making art has a profound effect on the psyche and even the smallest bit of torn paper can inspire an artist to push through whatever roadblocks are clouding their vision to create a meaningful piece of art.

Swallowed Words

This mixed media collage explores the moment when faced with staying within oneself or being vulnerable by allowing barriers to come down and being open to new experiences. Utilizing image transfer, found poetry and collage, each element is placed in relationship to the other in a linear building up of the final image. This piece was created using a vintage book cover, gel medium image transfer, found poetry, ink drawing and rusted silk. I would also like to thank the juror of this exhibit, Justin Newman, who graciously awarded this piece an Honorable Mention. Justin liked the way I used cut out the words and phrases pieced  together to create a clear message. He liked the details of the rusted motif on the inside of the book cover and the silk in the background. He also appreciated the careful way the I combined all these details to make my point.

Winged Love

This mixed media collage is homage to my grandmother and her attraction to the beauty of living things. The book cover is a vintage math book that my grandmother used as a child. Natural materials, ephemera, gel medium image transfer combine to create a connection between the past and present.