Hi everyone-

I have enjoyed reading your ideas and seeing images of your work. I’m sorry that it has taken me so long to contribute to this blog again.

I want to share some images of an installation I have started called Lessons in Expansion. At this point it is not a site-specific installation, but rather the genesis of a multi-component environment that will eventually make its way out of my studio and re-form in another setting. It began with a drawing (approximately 122cm square), which is expanding to include other 2-d and 3-d elements and related handmade nonverbal “research and analysis” books.

In the initial dialogue about Love/Death/Life/Soul, Michael mentioned “increasing our creative challenges” and moving out of “comfort zones.” I have a tendency to jump from one piece to another, or one body of work to another, without fully exhausting enough possibilities for that work. Or if I have explored several possibilities, for example in a painting or drawing, those possibilities are usually buried under layer upon layer of reworking. Nothing wrong with reworking, but it might be beneficial to see those possibilities extend outward rather than being hidden forever.

By allowing 2-d and 3-d elements to be created as an extension of this initial drawing, I am challenging myself to stay with the Lessons of Expansion project for a while. By creating “research and analysis” books in which I observe steps of the project and respond visually to those observations, I am constantly excavating rather than covering. Some of the books so far include: Comfort in reproduction; Fear of expansion; Fear of compression; Random possible connections; and Documentation of documentation.

In the first photo, you can see the original drawing (still in progress), connected to 2 smaller pieces of paper by thread and glue. Photos 2, 3 and 4 are close-ups of the connecting area. The rest of the images are of handmade paper with monotype. I made the paper in such a way that it is thinner and more translucent in areas (the ovals), and has actual holes in some places. Each sheet was formed by two very thin sheets being laminated together, with thread embedded between the two layers. As of now, these are raw materials, but I will experiment with making 3-d forms out of this paper, perhaps lit from within.

Thanks for reading and looking. I will continue to post images of this project as it progresses… or digresses… or transgresses. To see my previous work, visit http://www.marysdrawings.com . I look forward to seeing you all in person, and continuing a discussion via blog in the meantime.
Mary

here is a temporary page of mine

in a couple of weeks the main site (www.shenbrot.org) should be ready

http://shenbrot.wordpress.com/ - is a place (on this blog-server), where I show my present works untill than…

Well all, I am back to the blank canvas, today felt good working again. The museum asked me to keep working, thank god… so now I can create some new larger works. The space has effected my work in ways that are so simple and yet it has me wondering what will occur once the residency is over.

Basically I can get back from my work so I can see the whole work. Further just the ability to move around unhindered has me more relaxed, loose. As I was working I thought, “hey I take space for granted.”  Some of our production can be totally affected by studio space, working space in final installations, and thus creative space. Space is often the last thought when working, one thinks I just have to make do with what is here. Its a financial factor of course.

A friend in Holland started a project recently that is a “gallery” but it moves, it adopts spaces and presents projects.  Maybe its not too far to adapt that idea to form a global network that can share spaces for working. This space wont be mine much longer to trade. ; -)

Photo by Dordrechts Museum

One thing I think is critical to this project and to our own production is increasing creative challenges in our own work, and being open to look at those open spaces that exist in production, whether it be material or in tempo. I was in an opening tonight at a poor show in Holland and one thing someone asked me was why the work was so dull.

It reminded me of a student I had once who brought in a drawing, he was very talented and knew it. The drawing was very strong but one part of it looked weak. I asked what happened, he said he was tired. I told him that if you want others to give a damn about what you make, you have to actually give a damn.

The work in the show here was like the person had barely worked, if your bored, we will be bored. Another artist there and I concluded that good artists challenge themselves. Amongst colleagues here, I like that I am called out on various issues, and made to think about them in the work. Nothing is solved with non-speaking.

To move forward we must have interaction, move to new levels, questions need to be asked, theories gutted, and established comfort zones abolished. This striving to new platforms can only help create value in the works.

New levels can demand more work. Love, Death, Life, Soul. They appear to be something like basic elements (LO/DET/LIF/SO) . Sometimes it appears that all the marketing, writing, showing, and ego become a big wet blanket that dulls vision and sound.

m