Lost and Found at the Grosse Pointe Artists Association

Two of my art pieces were selected by juror Sean Bieri for the Grosse Pointe Artists Association's "Lost and Found" show at the Grosse Pointe War Memorial.

Pocket of Possibilities

My first piece is a mixed media bound book that includes image transfers of some of my other works, found objects, found poetry, acrylic stenciling and handmade papers. I often collect found phrases and put the random words together to tell a story. This is the narrative of this piece:

 Learning to know my heart

Floating like the wind

Strongly drawn toward the feeling that
something had opened
the secret

The day before occurred a little different
just part of the narrow passage
between newness and the ordinary

Before the trouble comes

 

Each page has a found object to help illustrate the words. This piece originally started as an exploration of pockets. But as it evolved the actual pocket became more of a metaphor for a person's life experience. The objects could be found in a pocket...a rusty key, a butterfly wing, a piece of sea glass, a vision testing lens and pieces of tree branches and represent various stages in life or changes that happen. As I get older I've noticed that I have become more reflective. Time seems to move at a swifter pace than I remember when I was younger. By having only one item per page there is a chance for the viewer to pause and really see the item and possibly form their own inferences to their life path. 

 

The City Never Sleeps 

My second accepted piece is titled, "The City Never Sleeps". This is a mixed media bound book that explores urban living through found objects. Randomly juxtaposed pieces of rusty detritus inspire this representation of urban life. Each piece reveals a part of the story, from the corrugated cardboard used for shelter by some less fortunate citizens to the remnant of a calculator keypad for those who need help counting their wealth. 

Indications of human interaction with the city landscape are depicted through graffiti-style wall markings, torn layers of event posters, a key to a door of refuge from the noisy bustle and a stray bottle cap that is all that remains of a thirst quenched.

The show opens for in-person viewing July 21 and runs through September 8, 2022. Hours are 4-7 pm on Thursdays and 10 am - 2 pm on Saturdays. The gallery is located in the Grosse Pointe War Memorial at 32 Lake Shore Drive, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI 48236

Here is the link to the online preview of the show with descriptions and pricing information. Please contact gpaa@grossepointeartcenter.org for details.