I didn't want it to be eye level, but I didn't really want you to crane your neck to see it. I wanted the support to be an non entity, it's only a support. I ended up choosing what looked pleasing to me, which was 7 1/2 feet.
How did I want the shapes to hang? Each shape is suspended by fishing line, then has another piece of thread hanging down. I wanted the shapes to hang at various heights, and the threads hanging down to end at various distances, some touching the ground, others higher up. I was up and down the ladder at least a hundred times trying to make this look spontaneous. In the back of my mind I'm thinking that if this gets into an exhibit, how will I ever ship it? Should it be able to be disassembled completely? If so, how do the exhibition helpers know how to put it back together? I decided it need to be semi permanent, meaning the shapes stay attached to the structure, but for shipping I pile them on top of it. (I clearly haven't figured this out completely)
The third element to this piece is some small paper bags I made using brown paper and encaustic wax. The baggage we carry. These will be on the floor, with some of the strings hanging among them.
As this piece came together, my heart started resting. Everything I wanted to say was there in front of me. The struggle with loss, the letting go, the hanging on, the constant connection of always remembering, but memories fading.
Next week, I'll blog about photographing an installation. that's assuming I can get it done by then.
3 comments:
So very delicate and poignant.
What a mass of skills one needs to be an artist. Just slapping some paint onto a canvas seems a walk in the park by comparison! Thank you for letting us share your journeys, both in theory and practice.
Great post on your process and thinking. Its been a meaningful journey and thank you for sharing.
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