The other stuff
There's more than only painting...
Don’t want to miss this…
There’s a habit I have about listening to podcasts in the studio that I just became conscious of today. Whenever I’m listening to one, I subconsciously think that I have to listen to it all the way through regardless of whatever else is going on. I completely forget that I can pause the podcast and come back to it later. Today, for instance, I needed to use the vacuum and clean up the floor a bit, but because I was listening to something riveting, I stood there for ten minutes before remembering that I could turn it off and be able to return to listening after I was done with the vacuum. I’m pretty sure this has something to do with me being of a generation where if you missed something on the radio or seeing a show on tv, you weren’t going to be able to hear or see that thing for a while. This has only happened with podcasts and not when I’m streaming movies or shows. Interesting.
Keeping it all together
A couple of nights ago, as I was winding up the day, I glanced over to my storage rack and noticed that one of my folders for storing large works on paper was falling apart. The works inside had collapsed into S curves with what looks like permanent curling at one end. I was too tired, annoyed and disappointed to deal with it then and left for the night. I thought of a possible solution that night and when I was back yesterday, I put a plan together to rectify things. First, I should note that I’ve been storing my works on paper in makeshift folders made of foam core for years, even most of the larger 38” x 50” works live in a foam core folder. Except this one set that I used two sheets of corrugated plastic for. I had it secured pretty well at one point, but after years of moving it around, it just gave up the ghost.
The only option for me at the moment was to try and repair and reinforce the folder as best I could until I can afford a flat file. The other part of it is that the foam core folders are much easier to move around than flat files. Anyway, the corrugated plastic boards were creasing and bending at certain points, causing the contents to loosen and collapse. As a remedy, I chose to use some stiff cardboard and duct tape to reinforce the outside . I only had this pink duct tape, so there’s some flair, as well. This is certainly temporary, but the folder also won’t be moved that much, so it’ll be around for a while, or until I get proper flat files. After I get that artist grant…
Throwbacks
These are some of the pieces that are inside of the folder I repaired. There were four that I pulled out permanently because of damage to one of the edges, as well as surface damage. Plus, they just weren’t good enough to continue keeping them around in their present forms. I may use those for collage material, but I haven’t come to a final determination about that, yet.
All of the works that were in that folder date from 2012-2013, including the ones above and all measure 38” x 50”. At the time, I was deep into using stencils to build up images to the point of indecipherability, creating melded, cloud-like images with a potential for movement. Makes me think of generative digital works. The last two are precursors of work that I’ve been delving into over the past few months or more. I’ve been taking things that caught on with me then and applying them to new contexts. It’s an exciting and challenging time right now and I know I’m on the right path in the work because it still feels like I’m in a slightly uncomfortable state with these interconnected, somewhat messy, geometric things that are counter to much of what I’ve been making over the past few years.
Folder repaired, I set about stretching a large (60” x 72”) canvas. I have three more larger ones to stretch and I’m doing them when I can afford to get canvas. Last, but not least, I spent some time updating my website images a bit. Moved some things off of the front page, added others, specifically announcements about shows that I’m involved in at the moment. I also made a “Painting Archive” folder so that visitors to the site can see examples of earlier works without me making folders for each year.
TM