I’ve signed up for a second title - ‘Where
the dead live’ (group 10).
To me, the
dead live initially in the memories of those that knew them. But later as these
people also become memories they live on in the things they left behind. This
could be a name on a gravestone, the ruin of a house they once lived in, an
artefact in a museum or junk shop.... The pictures and stories we see and tell
about them may be no more than conjecture and imagination but while we do there
is still some trace of the original person left.
I spend
quite a bit of time photographing and drawing in ruins and cemeteries so for me
this is the obvious starting point. As usual I’ve got more than one idea
floating around.
I have this vague idea about combining inscriptions and memories with
regeneration/life cycles perhaps using different weights of
paper, possibly transparent or translucent papers, interleaving other print
methods with etchings.
I’ve started to experiment with etching and using different resists ( if
you want more detail it’s on my blog). I’m not completely happy
with it but I’ve learned a lot.
The second train of thought came out of time spent in the
town cemetery of Argeles sur Mer. I love the small mausoleums that French
families used (and still do in some cases) – almost houses for the dead! I
started a set of work based on these last year but thought, apart from me,
who’d want work based on such odd subject matter. So I shelved it. Now I have the perfect excuse to go back and
work on it some more.
7 comments:
Your project sounds very interesting Jac. Almost hauntingly so! Look forward to further posts.
Oh. Wow. That sounds fascinating.
Sounds like a great project -- looking forward to updates.
Somehow, since the day I signed up for this project (Group 7, "My Ancestors"), I've been feeling like there isn't enough time. Of course, I did it to myself—decided to use the project as the core material for a presentation I'm preparing, to be given in July. As an older artist, with a background in psychology, I am interested in how we develop to maturity as artists and what gifts are bestowed by aging. "My Ancestors" struck me as a relevant theme, and I had a poem written a number of years ago, about the generations of women before and after me.
Over the last few weeks, I tried some structures and realized the value of maquettes. As an instructor in printmaking and sometimes painting, I am always talking about the advantages of working out the details in thumbnails. Double for maquettes. At no. 17, I've looked at 4 different structures, a dozen kinds of paper, several sizes. I think that I have two or three solid possibilities.
Of course, every time someone posts a discussion of what they're doing, a host of new possibilities swim before me. Oh the temptations of endless exploration.
Keeping notes and taking photos as I go. And I am also researching writings on aging and creative practice. It's such delicious work.
Pictures will come further down the line.
It is a great title, conjours up a host of ideas, I like where your heading.
I'm so glad I'm in Group 10 as well! I'd thought of doing this title myself--even came up with text for it. But you're undoubtedly going to do a more interesting job with it than I evert would've done. I like your preliminary ideas and look forward to seeing where you go with this.
Oh, man--I'm so excited because I'm in Group 10 along with you, and I've got a thing for ghosts. Keep us posted--this looks so interesting. :)
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