The Object and History

As an artist, I use or make objects that reference aspects of society. But what happens when the very object that is used to inform society is seen as a superficial object offering only aesthetic seduction ? What happens when a viewer is interested in the objects surface but does not see the underlying deeper meaning of it?

In what ways are we stopped or limited in our creative practices? What do we rely on within our work? How are objects freeing and/or weighted with history?

Above Images: Marilyn Levine, Brown Satchel, Ceramic, 1976 and Io Palmer, Knapsacks, Ceramic, 2010

My Summer of Dyeing Blue

This has been the summer of dyeing blue. The dye is under my finger nails, on the counter tops and on my toes when it splashed out of the bucket. Dyeing has reconnected me to my roots as I am the product of two bohemians who left the United States in the early sixties to live a simpler life in Greece. Childhood fashions consisted of small cotton tee shirts and dresses my mother, Myra, dyed for me.

Thirty five years later, my interest in blue dye led me to research how this color has been used throughout the world. When a friend introduced me to the music of Tinariwen, a group made up of the Tuareg people of northern Africa, I became interested in the blue used to dye their traditional turbans. The dye colors aided in my inspiration and understanding of some of the ways in which blue denotes a range of social customs, and class structures.

Above images: Dying Blue, Io Palmer, 2010, image by Frans Lemmens, image by Garrondo (Tuareg man)

The Spiral, At Last

One item from my long and ambitious creative list can finally be crossed out.
Robert Smithson's The Spiral Jetty, 1970
Great Salt Lake, Utah


My travel companion and I drove a long way, past cows grazing along the roads, past several wrong turns, miles down a dirt road then finally hiking several miles to see the great Spiral Jetty.

For many people the jetty may be a pilgrimage. Slowly walking down the jetty as it jutted straight out then curled inward I was reminded of meditation, turning consciousness inward in order to know thy self.

The Power of the Painter

We recently invited painter Craig Cully to visit WSU as part of our Artist Lecture Series. His exhibition, Mingle, was a grouping of psychologically laden figures all highly glossed with layers of oil paint. The exhibition was well received and many students appreciated his honest and humorous lecture. It has been a week since he left and students continue to talk about his visit; the feedback they received and the conversations they had with him. Craig spoke of the tedious way he paints layer after layer of glaze over wood panels, the small brushes and the magnifying glasses he wears while painting. His technique underscores the obsessive conceptual spaces he depicts in the work. I appreciate an artist's use of fine craft and technique to depict concept . And in my classroom I strive to maintain a balance between teaching technique and encouraging conceptual investigation.

Above Image: Defacing the Hairdresser’s Husband, oil and ballpoint pen on panel

By Invite Not by Payment

So happy to read Benjamin Genocchio's article posted in the New York Times today. Mr. Genocchio writes of a printmaking exhibition that is in fact by invite not by payment.
As some of my students know, I rarely apply to exhibitions that have a dollar amount. And looking back on my own resume, the most impressive exhibitions I have been included in, for the most part, are by invitation. Which further strengthens my belief that to succeed as an artist, meet people, ask questions, genuinely be interested in others and work like you have everything to say and not enough time to say it.

The Space of creativity

In a recent NPR interview musician Ronnie Milsap spoke about his new release. When asked how this particular cd came together he stated " [If you have enough] love around you, your not afraid to find your own voice." I have thought about these words every day since I heard this interview. What really encourages us to " find our own voice" and allow the creative energies to flow ?
For me, when I am in my studio, I have to take a leap and trust that the decisions I make are the correct ones. What helps you be honest and critical in your creative space?

Explore Create Explore

This has been an extraordinary summer and one that has had a transformative effect on my life. As an educator, I am fortunate to have the freedom to travel during the summer months. I take this time to develop work with new materials and processes. The varied experiences and temperatures I witnessed merged into new creative energy and thought.
Like any solid relationship, being an artist takes work, dedication and patience. Being a creative thinker is a process- a journey. I relate my journey across the United States to the journey of understanding my relationship with creativity.

Process

Questioning

Inquiry

Listening