Fall Semester projects

The following images are from my recent mid-semester review. The goal with this installation was to collect the various elements in my studio from the grass prop, to water-colors on paper, drawing, photographs, and video into an installed environment. Still a work in progress, and much editing needed, but a good exercise in playing with this imagery.

Recently, I've been focusing on depicting images from dreams and from memories of walks taken in the Greenpoint, Brooklyn area.

Some new dream paintings on wood panels

installation detail, mid-semester review

Places of Kisses video set in installation. Video version coming soon!

view of installation.

America Projects in Progress

drawing in progress, from RV series

"The inhumanity of our ulterior, asocial, superficial world immediately finds its aesthetic form here, its ecstatic form" 

-from America by Jean Baudrillard

Family Evidence, ongoing project.

Dear Family,

I am writing this letter to invite your participation in an art project!  The concept, referred to now as "Family Secrets" is meant to explore the things that are left unsaid.  Due to perhaps societal or personal restraints on how we open up to those around us (the closest example being the "family unit"), we all have private aspects to our beings.  In other words, everyone has a secret!

This idea came to me as part of my ongoing investigations into meaning, psychology, and narrative in my studio practice. This project in no way is meant to exploit or dig into our family dynamics in particular, I am using our family-model as an example to explore larger concepts.  I hope to include this project in a more expansive installation project.  As of now, this is a beginning stage of the process.

Participation Instruction:

1.  Choose your Materials!

select something to write with and something to write on.  Can be any materials of your choosing.  

2.  Disclose your secret!

Write down a "secret" which you have not or would feel uncomfortable sharing with your immediate family.  This does not have to include your spouses, as I'm only asking us siblings and mom and dad to participate.  The secret can be as personal or impersonal as you want it to be.  I just ask that you be completely open and honest in this process.

3.  Destroy the evidence!

After writing your "secret", you may slash, burn, crumple, erase, mark-over, or otherwise destroy the paper you wrote on.  The secret will remain as such, maintaining anonymity and everyone's personal privacy.  

4.  Keep the debris!

I would like you to gather the debris, whether it's shredded paper, ashes, etc, and place it in a zip-lock baggie. 

I will be displaying the evidence in some form in my studio space, and wish to present this concept to my instructors at the beginning of the school year.  This project should only take you a few minutes to complete.  The hardest part may be selecting your secret!  Please let me know if you have any questions.  I know you all have busy schedules, but if it's possible, please postmark by August 20.  

Thanks again!  

Love,

Mary

Brother's Secret, received 

Mother's Secret, ashes mounted on illustration board

Father's, Sister's, and Mother's secrets in faux gold frames

keeping the romance alive

Studio in progress today... yes, this painting includes a "parrot" windmill...

close-up of surfing parrot.

in progress

printed some more summer photos, displayed them on the "romance" wall.

studio highlights

details from the RV park painting posted previously...

new painting in progress...

camping in America..

I've been working lately with FW inks which have strong, vibrant colors!  Here is the newest painting in progress in the studio, using images from my RV Camping photos from California.. time-lapse and details to come.  

watching the grass grow.

The grass-making project is expanding nicely.  Like watching grass grow, except with the satisfaction of tying every single blade!

the grass is like a creature, slowly taking over my studio...

but of course, there is time to smell, or rather, eat the roses...