inspiration

Objects of Importance

I like collect things, little talismans of sentimental importance. I thought I'd share a few of these things that I have. Some of them I've had as long as I remember.

 :: a stone from Lake Michigan ::

 :: a stone from Delaware. I've had this since I was little, and because it resembles a jewelry pendant, I like to think it may have been worn by someone long ago ::

:: a slab of lead with pink paint ::

 :: a scrap of gold embossed paper found in an old book ::

:: an eraser with a hologram from France ::

Things

A friend asked me recently what I'm currently inspired by and I replied "things that look like other things." Not the most eloquent response, I'll work on that, but it's true. I've been looking at these images, as well as others, a great deal, photographs that exhibit the phenomenon of the repetition of forms in the manmade and natural world.



Serpents, Scales and Pyramids

Recurring Images and dreams.

:: Tile Scales ::

:: Louise Bourgouis, Swaying, 2006 ::

:: Agnes Denes, The Human Argument, 1974 ::

:: source unknown ::

:: Koryak armor ::

:: Marianne Dages, Quoin ::

:: Marianne dages, Chymia ::

:: marianne dages, i had that dream again ::

:: waves, from a very old book I own ::

:: Iceland, herringbone pattern in house, photograph by Andrew Frederick ::


:: Animal figures and patterns from various Udeghe shaman’s costumes, shoes and bands ::

Language is a virus


 :: Yukaghir "love letter" ::

:: Drumconwell Ogham Stone ::


:: Icelandic Magic Staves ::

 :: Saami Runebomme ::

 :: Chinese Bamboo Annals ::

:: Traditional Croatian Tattoos ::

:: my print, Small Fires No. 3 ::

I'm very interested in pictographic images as modes of communication and their relationship to folklore. I've also been looking at the distortion of language and information that occurs as cultural objects
and stories are viewed out of context by outsiders.

 The images I make are a personal and idiosyncratic dictionary of symbols with pictographic imagery rooted in the history and folklore of the Arctic. They are an attempt to communicate with the long gone and far away, and to create a new personal narrative and connection to these far off places.

Recent Acquisitions

Recent acquisitions from the used bookstore. A vintage issue of Exposure, the journal of the Society for Photographic Education. The theme of the issue is photo-offset printing and included a portfolio section.

 :: todd walker ::

 :: scott hyde ::

:: cover ::

A beautiful little bound copy of the Life of Tom Horn. Steve McQueen read the story of Tom Horn and felt a strong personal connection to Horn, a loner and one of the last of his kind in the disappearing Old West. His film Tom Horn is one of my favorites. 

I love the scale and feel of this book. I have been working on an edition myself and am now thinking I might downsize it to a more handheld size. 

 :: cover ::

 :: title page ::

Neighbors and Books

I went to Delaware yesterday to drop off some work for a show, "Neighbors" at Project Space.
Wilmington, DE. This group show is an eclectic group of artists, who have all been neighbors at one time or another. I feel very lucky to be part of this show, which includes the work of Catherine Maloney, Ruth Ansel, and Sutton Hays.

If you are in the neighborhood, the opening details are:

Neighbors
Project Space
2003 West 17th Street
Wilmington, DE 19806
Friday, February 1st 5pm to 8pm

Should be a great show.

While I was there, I went to the thrift store and found this treasure. 

:: mushrooms and magic, yes please ::

 :: title page with sweet little mushroom drawings ::

:: I see russulas, morels, boletes, and more! ::

I also went to my parent's house and dug out a few of my own children's books, I'll be posting more of them later. This one is Rocks and Gems. I remember looking at it many times.

 :: I love that little earth core slice ::

 :: rocks and gems ::




How to print ghosts.


I dreamt we were printing ghosts. The press was found in a forgotten room, silent and damp. It took two of us to start the old machine, turning and turning until momentum lifted the heavy wood handle from our hands. Hidden mechanisms slid over cool burnished stone and silhouettes curled upwards into the air like burning paper. Colorless sendings, their mouths open with surprise at their own animation. I saw them drift and break like bubbles.

Cleaning

 :: hecate and mushrooms ::

I've started the process of cleaning up my new-to-me Vandercook No. 4. I'm still a bit in disbelief. When I started cleaning it I kept having to remind myself - you're not at work (I work in a university print shop) you're cleaning your very own press.

 :: clean rollers ::

The cleaning process is a real rabbit hole. There's hard dried ink lurking everywhere and it does not want to come off. It's very satisfying though when you finish one area, like the rollers, and move on to the next one.
 :: ink and paint composition ::

I'm also learning more about the press as I clean it. When I got home and removed the tympan paper. I found prints with the press name The Stone House Press, a fine press in Roslyn, New York run by Morris A. Gelfand.

I found this photograph of Morris.


:: Morris A. Gelfand ::

Thank you, Morris. I will treat your press well.

:: results ::