Viewfinders: Persistently Red

(To learn more about the "Viewfinder Project" see the original post.)

Kip Deeds, "Viewfinder", 6" x 4 1/4", 2005

After receiving "Viewfinders" from other artists, I began to think about the suggestive nature of the image initially sent out (seen above). The image sent was printed with two layers. First, a red was printed on white paper and then black was printed on top to provide detail. Given its saturation and contrast, the red had a powerful additive effect. I wondered if this choice influenced the recipients because much of the artwork returned was dominated by red. The approaches varied but the results were persistently on my mind.

Red is associated with dramatic appearances in nature (e.g as seen punctuated in the landscape in the form of flowers, as see in fleeting moments as the sun sets, in the details of a fire, or as blood when we are cut). Red has come to symbolize a sense of passion, vibrance, and at times danger.  Perhaps for this reason red is also associated with other temporal states such as when one blushes or when one is angry (one can "turn red" and one can "see red").

John J. O'Connor, "Viewfinder", 6" x 4 1/4", 2005

I can only guess at the system John J. O'Connor  used to devise his "viewfinder"(seen above). O'Connor often uses complex data and text to point out highly directed and individualized results. He attempts to visualize mass information using his own idiosyncratic methods. Through his process he creates an abstract picture that in its wholeness captures a transcendent image. 

Although John O'Connor's artistic labor is serious, there is also something humorous and ironic about it. When his work uses information of a more politically volatile nature, he seems to be making light of officials who use statistics in selective and less than credible ways. Regarding one of his recent works, John O'Connor states how he used the "largest rises and largest falls in the history of the stock market, connected according to my own invented system. I juxtaposed and connected this structure with statements of great confidence and insecurity, revealed through hypnosis."

Anne Stagg, "Viewfinder", 4 1/4" x 6", 2005

Anne Staggs's "Viewfinder"(seen above) refers to sewing and work stereotypically connected to women. However, Stagg's sewing is not exactly the kind one may expect, the act is not about fashion or decoration but more about keeping "it" together. On her website, when referring to a related series of paintings, Anne described her initial inspiration "comes from a chore that my sisters and I were given when we were young. In order to prolong the life of our socks, my mom asked us to repair the socks that were wearing thin. We stretched them over a bare light bulb and darned them with sock yarn." 

Stagg's paintings are unlike the "Femmages" (a kind of feminist collage using fabric) that Miriam Shapiro made in the 1970's. Even though there is a relationship, one has to look harder to see the fabric (what is there both literally and figuratively). The white in the image is also intriguing because it is not the fabric. The white is the unknown icy hot light. In this case the viewer is shielded (or protected) and stitched inside a red sock.

Jason Urban, "Viewfinder", 6" x 4 1/4", 2005

Jason Urban re-contextualizes commercial modes of production and often identifies imagery common in popular and mainstream culture seen through these modes. Urban gives prominence to the background content and details of reproduction processes (e.g. halftone patterns, screen savers, and raster images). By making the pixels more noticeable or by layering information in unpredictable ways (e.g. reproducing a screensaver image that is re-assembled on filing boxes) Jason allows us to consider what we usually overlook and see how this content can have new meanings. What I find compelling about the painting Urban returned to me (seen above) is that it appears unfinished. By recreating pixels by hand and by letting brush marks show, individual parts become prominent and interrupt a collective effect. In a digital realm, at the pixel level, this would be improbable if not impossible.

Taking the repetitious use of red further (and perhaps a bit outside of the realm of this project), I was reminded of the persistent use of the word "red" in the 1978 pop song "I See Red" by Split Enz.  Although the artwork I received did not make me hopping mad, the song offers a humorous comparison between lyric and music on one hand and visual art on the other hand. The underlying psychological impact of this color makes itself present in manifest ways.

Billboards

This past spring I entered a contest where artists could submit designs for a billboard. There was a prescribed scale artists had to consider, but the was no limit on content.  I spent a weekend making three designs. My original idea was to make a very small print large and then offer commentary related to the imagery. Initially, I used rubber stamps (these I carved) to make small prints. After the prints were scanned, adjustments and additions were made in Adobe Illustrator.

Ultimately, my plans were rejected. However, I feel that the sayings and imagery offer something to consider.  Perhaps the traffic that passes through this site will give the billboard designs greater consideration than viewers might if they passed actual billboards by car. The design at the top depicts the age of the internet, but ironically it is made in a way that alludes to what is handmade and personal. The middle image reflects our habits and how they relate to one's desire to fit in. The bottom image follows the path of history and how information and vision have been passed from place to place. Of course each mode has it's advantage and disadvantage. 

Christopher Davison: A View of Relief

(For more information about the "Viewfinder Project" click here.)

Several years ago I met Christopher Davison at his MFA exhibition in Philadelphia. After this exhibit, I invited Chris to make a “Viewfinder”. The drawing I received (seen below) led me to more questions than answers. Although illustrative, the image also seems somewhat atypical of Davison's work because it is relatively minimal and focuses on a single subject. The figure or form that Davison presents does not fit a neat characterization. Is it a depiction of a machine, is it a creature, or is it some tree or natural formation? It seems to be spouting out steam which initially caused me to make a mental leap to my memory of Old Faithful.

Christopher Davison's "Viewfinder", Size: 6" x 4 1/4, 2005

As my teaching position this summer came to a close, my sense of Christopher's drawing had evolved. I began to see his picture more specifically as a metaphor for a kind of exhale of relief. I feel that Davison's view is not so much of an object but more of an illustration of a feeling that transcends a complete description. No matter what job one has or what stresses life presents people need a means to “blow off steam”. This enables one to recharge or to heal. To “blow off steam” does not necessarily imply destructive or self-destructive acts, but it does indicate a limit and a change of course. In the case of individuals it indicates our physical and psychological limits.

In comparison to Davison's other works, he often uses layers of active drawing marks in a variety of media. Ultimately, this provides his drawings with a kind of psychic energy. For example, within many of these drawings figures that may not appear to be in motion may also appear to pulsate. In contrast to the "Viewfinder" (seen above) that provides an exhale,these drawings are like the energy one receives following the deep long breath. Below is an example from Christopher Davison's website.

Christopher Davison, Cronies, 11" x 15" · gouache on paper, 2011

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Summer Gift

This summer a friend and fellow artist Amy Long gave me a collection of canceled stamps. After organizing the stamps I found several unusual examples.  The cancellation mark in the stamp below seems perfectly placed to indicate the future direction of the characters. 



The most unlikely stamp I found in the collection (seen below) features ermine (a kind of weasel) in a Christmas motif. Although this animal  has a white winter coat, it seems like a surprising choice for a holiday greeting.



Finding diverse stamps among the given assortment  provided a welcomed diversion and a chance to imagine myself in other places among varied company.

Eva Wylie: A View From The Ledge

(For more information about the "Viewfinder Project" click here.)

Eva Wylie's "Viewfinder"- Relief Print, String, and Book Board Ledge

Eva Wylie was the only artist who sent back a "Viewfinder" in parts as a sculptural project. She wrote to me saying that her work evolved through many stages including one that involved sewing. The end result is a shelf like display for a "Viewfinder" that she ultimately cut apart. Below is a descriptive drawing she sent as part of a letter.

For a long time Eva's shelf rested on my desk. However, it is this summer when I fully felt its relevance. While at a six week summer teaching job, I live in a cabin that has several simple shelves that allow me store necessities.  Below are two images from this cabin.

After considering these shelves, I realized that they function like a pedestal and a kind of three dimensional viewfinder. The ledge  frames and organizes the image within a rectangle providing a context for the objects. Also, the conventional use of a shelf creates norms in which objects that are alike in either form or function are grouped together. Eva's small sculpture inspired me to consider how the everyday objects around me can be framed by conventions of three dimensional display. It seems that a shelf can be as powerful a prompt for organizing an image as the most traditional viewfinder.

Although Eva Wylie often uses print, sculpture, sewing, and installation in her artwork, her more involved projects usually build from many prints and break out of the rectangle or square. Below is an example from Wylie's website.

A detail of Eva Wylie's installation titled Roaring Garden

Training the Eyes, Mind, and Body

Occasionally I see something particular or peculiar that may not make a great photograph and may not inspire a sculpture or a painting, but it does stir some thoughts. This occurred recently while out on my daily walk. In this case, I passed by a collection of exercise equipment in front of a house. It is rare to see such equipment (equivalent in quantity to that of a fitness center) out in front of a home. The objects were positioned in such away to form a jumbled overlapping unity.

Although the equipment looks like it is in disrepair, it is unclear if the machinery is headed for disposal. The equipment appears in limbo between the garage and curbside trash pickup. Not only is it a compelling menagerie of devices that seem to address every exercise craze and every part of the body, it also seems to beg to tell a story. Had the owner given up on exercise and banished the equipment? Is there a new device to replace all of the old equipment? Was the equipment bought on impulse, based on the allure of infomercials, and then left unused? Without knowing the owner of the equipment these questions can not be known. However, in a neighborhood where one residence usually merges with the next revealing only the smallest differences, this unique collection is a jolt and a reminder of our own (perhaps less visible) idiosyncrasies.

By taking a break from practical concerns and getting my own dose of exercise I was able to move beyond passive observation and to consider what I was seeing. The eyes, the mind, and the body were in concert thanks to the exercise equipment.