2.16.2005

landscape times one

as a fulfillment of a delayed promise or thought, here are vague photos of my very first sewing paper project-O. i didn't want to bog the entry down with too many photos that aren't that detailed to begin with. a smidgen of clue for you. oh and i am oh so happy to have accomplished such a challenge. the machine is so small that i really dreaded keeping such long pieces together. so i used clips and paperclips. i couldn't use straight pins because the paper is too thick to puncture. and the space between the needle and right side of the machine is so small that i couldn't sew large segments together. a very slow, tedious process, but extremely fulfilling and rewarding.

i tend to do lean against landscapes in much of my work. they are abstract and require a double vision from the audience. it is as if flying in a plane overlooking the earth from afar, seeing very distant, minute fields, building/structures, roads, cars, rivers, lakes and all sorts of things. the earth has been compared to a quilt, when looked at from above. and that is my idea as well. the other vision you must take on is that of a profile view of a landscape/cityscape. i've got the shades of green rising up to the blue. with the moon in the right hand corner. buildings(abstracted) rising out of the green. and then as i always do add that layer of pixelated-squares. this time it was silver electrical tape at the top, yellow drywall grid tape for the middle and red red red beautiful red ducktape for the lower segment. last but not least i've got a splatter of brighter paint. but i believe i took the last photo before the splatter. but i used silver and yellow and red paint. it adds a touch of blur that i like about seeing things through squinted eyes. almost like when the sun is too bright.












i will put out a few more photos later on, but for now i wanted to get this out to you. i think when doing collage it is really important not to use other people's work. i know how wonderful it is to go to a place like hobby lobby and sift through the scrapbooking paraphenilia, but it IS someone else idea. sometimes collage is just that though and if your goal is to portray someone else's work and manipulate it that's good, but it is been done already. i would challenge you to keep a flimsy little notebook around you at all times. it doesn't really have to be all that special of a book. i keep notebooks at my friends house all the time because sometimes i get in a draw-ering mood and have got to get a fix. one thing that all collage artists should take advantage of is KINKO'S. there is nothing wrong with taking bits and pieces of your doodling, scraps of found objects(which is different from scrapbooking materials), and 3 dimensional objects (e.g. buttons, matches, maps, paperclips, et cetera). you are responsible for being original and you have the ability to make your own scrapbooking sheets that are CHEAPER anyway. the other thing is that that color-copying that you have becomes a continual resource to add to future works. it's true. i keep rubbermaid bins for old wrapping paper and color copies, pipe cleaner, origami, and a whole bunch of other stuff. don't be afraid, seriously.

i'm outta here.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

I love love love your landscape Cat!! Your vision is forming very well! It looks huge! How big is it? Go girl! Keep creating!

I can't say I agree with Kinkos though. After all the money you invest in all those pages they aren't acid free and you could get your own printer/copier for about 200 bucks. It's a neat way to start though,but it's a shame that your art will yellow. Small investment vs. big investment.

Queen Marie, Gluten-Free said...

Beautimous.

I helped a friend with one of her projects, once, sewing stamps together (from here and all over the world.)

Fading isn't always bad, I think. Who wants roses to bloom forever? There will always be buds and rebirth to take their place.

Anonymous said...

beautiful. very, very beautiful.

Anonymous said...

beautiful. very, very beautiful.