El Anatsui: inspiration and exhibition in Denver

I've been inspired by El Anatsui since I first glimpsed his huge recycled tapestry-like work at the Indianapolis Museum of Art in 2008... I even wrote a blog post about it way back then!

So I've been looking forward to his retrospective show at the Denver Art Museum, "When I Last Wrote to You about Africa."

He gave a talk, more like an interview, in advance of the opening last week, as part of the Logan Lecture series. I was particularly interested in his discussion of using humble elements, brought together in a monumental way, to create a meaningful work of art. Beauty, he feels, is just a by-product of his work. (Detail of one of the works on view in Denver at left)

He said working with what your environment produces has always been a guiding thought in his artistic practice. As a collagist, I could totally relate to his sensibilities. 

In working with found objects, he acknowledges that the media comes with its own history/meaning. He believes that because the objects have been touched by a person, there is a "psychic charge" within the artwork that ultimately helps other people relate to the piece.

He also spoke about the flexibility of the hanging pieces and the importance of involving other people in his work to determine how they should be hung/placed -- so it is different in every installation. He said art is like a reflection of life, always in a state of flux, and he embraces that philosophy throughout his practice.

When I arrived at the exhibition on Saturday, I was surprised that he was in the galleries responding to questions about the work. It was great to meet him and be able to tell him how much I've enjoyed his work. What a creative spirit and what a wonderful exhibition.

It runs through December 30th, 2012. Be sure to visit if you are in the area. I know I'll be going back a few times in an attempt to take it all in! (Even the shadows the works cast on the walls are gorgeous.) 

Here's some video that gives you the sense of being in the same space with these wall hangings. It is not from the Denver show but was the best footage I could find to show the details of his work, from a recent show at the Akron Art Museum. Enjoy! 

Hiatus... or, what I did on my summer vacation

I didn't really intend to take a summer vacation from this blog but that's truly how it has turned out. So much has happened since I last posted... here's an attempt to fill in at least some of the blanks!

We decided it was awfully quiet at our house and made the big decision to add a dog to our family. Derby arrived on "Derby Day" in May. She is a spunky, red standard poodle, growing fast! Needless to say, our home has been a very dynamic place lately.

My show at Spark Gallery in Denver was well received and lots of fun. Three of my best friends from college came for the opening reception -- traveling from Oregon, Alaska, and New Jersey to be here. I'm very grateful for their support and friendship over all these years.

The show was written up in the a new art magazine called kolaj. I'm thrilled to be included in the first issue. 

One of my collages was juried into this summer's All-Colorado exhibition at The Curtis Center for the Arts & Humanities.

As Colorado dealt with record-breaking heat and serious fires, I was in the studio working on water-influenced collages for a show at Parker Adventist Hospital's Healing Art Program in July and August. 

I've also been working on new collages for the upcoming "To Expand" exhibition at the Madden Museum. This show was scheduled to open in November... recently we were asked if we could move it forward by a month. Of course we can! So my efforts to get ready are a little more compressed than anticipated -- and I'm madly gluing away, working on the biggest collages I've ever attempted.

Throughout the summer, my graphic design work has been surprisingly busy, forcing me to rethink how to keep all the balls in the air. Still thinking!

My husband and I decided we don't use the family room much with our kids mostly gone... so we took it apart and moved the TV into our living room, a vintage 1910 Craftsman space. This required rearranging all the furniture and artwork, in several rooms! I love that we are now using the living room more though -- it's so cozy -- and the whole house seems fresher, more in tune with who we are these days. I'm lucky Jim is content with his basement studio... since my work seems to keep appropriating space!

Next we moved the computer work station, design supplies/files, my favorite "thinking" chair, and a 9 foot long table into the old family room. Now my old studio space can be used solely for art work. The two rooms adjoin and it just took some out-of-the-box thinking to realize how much sense it could make. The art room still needs a lot of organizational work (where did all these papers come from?!) but I've turned my back on that issue and am just dealing with a makeshift situation in the studio as I prepare for To Expand. After that work is done, I'll be able to return to reorganizing the spaces.

We did some traveling... My daughter and I took a trip to the LA area to visit my Mom, who is dealing with Parkinson's Disease, and my sister and her family. We also had a great visit with my stepson, Hunter, including a fun-filled beach bike ride.

Mid-August found Kelsey and I on the road again, headed to Bloomington, Indiana where she began her senior year at IU. Her car was fully loaded with clothes and IKEA furniture...brought back that scene from the intro to the "Beverly Hillbillies!" I helped with the move-in and flew home.

Then there were all the wonderful little moments -- the art openings, lectures, book club meetings at the Botanic Gardens, bike rides, walks, yoga classes, evenings on the porch, and other social niceties that rounded out the summer. It has truly flown by. I was feeling overwhelmed and needed some summer ease, so something had to go -- it was the blog!

However, I have been updating the Facebook page about my art more regularly! Please consider "liking" it... yes, that means you have to click the button at the top of the page! Then when I post new work, it will show up in your news feed. Click here to check it out.

More soon, promise. :) 

"Clarity," finished collage on canvas

"Clarity," contemporary paper collage, 48 x 30." © 2012, Janice McDonald.

A final view of recent work, acrylic and contemporary paper collage on canvas, currently on view at Spark Gallery Members' Show in Denver, Colorado through January 29, 2012.

Contemporary collage "changing like a chameleon..."

"One of the exciting things about collage is its primary use of discarded paper media which ultimately keeps it in motion, constantly changing like a chameleon. A quick look at the diversity of styles, concepts and technique found in contemporary collage proves it’s moved well beyond simply cut paper and glue.

I suspect many artists find it alluring for not only its immediacy but its unique and inherent nature to reinvent the familiar into something mysteriously new. Collage also has a long history of integrating itself in to political and cultural movements so it seems natural there’s a collage revival happening in these uncertain times."

— from an interview with "All That Remains" exhibition curator Charles Wilkin, posted to the Hyperallergic blog by Hrag Vartanian.

I couldn't agree more with the thoughts expressed in the interview. Opportunities to look at collage are increasing in galleries, museums -- and wonderfully, also online. 

Collage works from the "All That Remains" show are available for viewing here. The exhibition is an international one, curated by Wilkin, and on view at Picture Farm in Brooklyn, New York through November 19, 2011.

To peruse even more collage, consider visiting the 27th Annual National Collage Society exhibition site, viewable online here. (I have one in there somewhere...)

Image above, included for its chameleon-like coloration, is: "Composure," collage on paper, 10 x 8." © 2001, Janice McDonald.