ThroughLines Exhibition Opening / Views

I'm loving having this series of collages on the walls at Spark Gallery... I always gain perspective on my work by standing back and studying it.

My artist statement for the ThroughLines collages:Recurring issues can confront and confound us, occupying our thoughts. Technology distracts us with incoming stimulation. Daydreams intrude...These collages are visual riffs on all that we carry within: explorations of the processes in our minds as we address issues of bandwidth, multitasking and overwhelm—alongside goals of simplicity, mindfulness and purpose.Each collage represents a moment in time, full of multi-layered and competing thoughts, hopes, fears, dreams, and memories—all moving forward and influencing each other—glimpses of the landscape of my mind.The collages are made from ripped strips of contemporary repurposed paper using a wet working technique.

ThroughLines exhibition on a quiet evening.

For those who were unable to be at the opening of my show at Spark Gallery, click below for a quick tour of my show as installed.[embed]https://youtu.be/rcNdlxrYNq8[/embed]To see each collage in detail, view the ThroughLines: Virtual Exhibition on my website. Pour yourself a glass of wine (or beverage of choice) and see the whole show at your leisure!If you have questions or are interested in adding one of the collages to your collection, please get in touch. Cheers!

ThroughLines show prep

ThroughLines collages drying in the studio after varnish application.

Sideview: ThroughLines collages lined up and ready to box for transport to gallery.

I've been working steadily on collages for my ThroughLines show... recent weeks have included looking hard at them and making any last minute adjustments to the artwork. Then I varnish each one with a UV-resistant matte finish, adding hanging hooks/wires and title/care/inventory labels.All of the work has been sent out to be digitally captured so that I have high-resolution, color-corrected files that could be used to print the images as enlargements, should there be interest in using the work that way.It's amazing how much time goes into the unseen aspects of making art, not to mention marketing.Hanging begins on Monday. It seems odd to be able to get all the work for a whole show into just a few boxes, but all the work is small this time, just 10 x 10 x .75." Having never hung a whole show of such small work in such a large space, I'm really excited to see how it will look on the walls! As always before a show, I have a little trepidation, too -- but hopefully they will be like little jewels, drawing people in to look at them more carefully. I haven't been able to see the collages all together, with adequate white space between them, so I'll certainly enjoy studying the work from a distance once it's hung.Here's hoping some of you can drop into Spark Gallery in Denver to see the work. The show begins September 20 and runs through October 14. The opening reception is Friday, September 21 from 6-9pm. You're invited! And if you can't make it, I'll be updating my website prior to the show opening so that you'll be able to view the finished series there.

Visual riffs / scenes from the studio

Overhead view of a tray of ripped strips, each one jockeying for position 🙂

So here's how the studio looks when I'm in the midst of finishing a new series of collages -- this work is for my "ThroughLines" show in September.It may appear hectic, but there's lots of study and contemplation to figure out what paper element goes where. I commit to placing one piece and let the composition evolve from there -- it's not all figured out in advance. So I have to stay somewhat centered, in the midst of the mayhem, to accomplish my goal of making these collages powerful and relevant.My working artist statement about this series: The “ThroughLines" series of collages are visual riffs on the unexpected landscapes of our minds as we address concerns like bandwidth and overwhelm, alongside mindfulness and purpose. Each piece represents a moment in time, full of multi-layered and competing thoughts, hopes, fears, dreams, and memories -- all moving forward and influencing each other — glimpses of the complex world of the self.In case you're worried about this new look, I haven't given up on ripping paper... that artistic gesture is far too cathartic! To get this stripe-y effect, I'm ripping against a metal straightedge to crop images in a uniform manner. I have several shoeboxes full of these strips, ready to use as appropriate. Here's a tray of some of my "ingredients" / palette, below.