No physical road trips lately, but here is an offering of an artist book I just finished.
It started from one of those dreams some of us are plagued with, the one where you drive round and around and either never get back to the beginning or pass the beginning/end repeatedly. (And what a road trip that would be!)
It is also about a memory of a specific experience in a place that no longer exists.
It consists of two physical parts. The first is a small accordion book of artist written text. The second is the carousel construction in which the universal dog tries and tries to get through the fences to the memory in the trees.
Some of the vignettes behind the fence might seem oddly familiar. A couple are secrets or very personal. The viewer is invited to get very close to the fence to figure out the stories.
And the text, which does not configure exactly stanza to panel:
Motherhouse
1.
To place memories on
a long-lost map.2.
How quiet the air
all that long night vigil!At the time
they could not understand
the stillness of the dead.3.
Hoop of long white skirts
swirling.Turn, turn, turn, clap.
Turn, turn, turn, clap.
The accordion, the dance.4.
Long sighs of
would-be-wild
olive trees
rise from an ordered plot.Freedom –
another illusion smashed.5.
It was always the
motherhouse.Even now
universal dog
tries to find the way back
to something long unfinished.
To see and hear a one minute video of this book in action:
Can anyone point me to a laser cutting resource in the great Northwest? If not, this hand cut book will be a one off.
Jan, as always, your work leaves me breathless! I am so honored to know you. Pamela
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Thanks, Pamela. Maybe some of your dolls (ahem, soft sculptures) and Oola should get together for a tea party some day.
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