She’s finished! The red part of her is not as straight as it looks on the photo, seen from the side it curves forward in a sweeping arch.
I’ve been tagged several times over the last few months (and found another one this morning, thank you mien, and I was so touched by your words!) and have kept postponing my reaction. But react I will now – thank you all (Mandy, Amanda (heard about it from cusp)), it’s an honour and a pleasure.
I am still amazed that I/my blog is being found at all. Well really I’m amazed that this blog-thing exists! It’s become a marvelous feat for me, has taken me out of my artistic isolation. Not only that I can showcase my work and talk about my processes and accompanying doubts and joys - I can discover work by artists all over the world! For somebody who doesn’t manage to get to exhibitions often this has become my way of seeing contemporary art, well, some of it, as my energy usually expires before I’ve seen enough. Although there are so many tempting sites to look at I’ve chosen to look at those I can with curiosity and openness and care and spend time with them instead of flitting around just to see as much as possible. I do hope in time I’ll be able to take in more.
It’s become important to me to leave considered/hopefully supportive and constructive feedback, partly because it means so much to me to receive feedback myself, but also because I think artists generally may lack it. And it’s led to genuine exchange and affecting communication. One of my joys in daily life now is to go to my blog and see if anybody has left a message, and my heart beats esp. if it’s a message from mien or Kruse, also from anne-laure and Catherine, all artists who inspire me with everything they post and whose work is ever in flux and inventive, challenging and touching and always has integrity. Our regular exchanges have become a critical lifeline to this artist who produces her work at home where only friends see it. Not to diminish friends’ input, but it always feels tinted by their affection for me and it’s different/vital to get comments by other artists/art professionals who do not know me.
It’s been such a pleasure writing for my blog too! After years of abstinence I’ve rediscovered writing as another powerful creative tool. I often rant about not being able to draw, envy others’ their skills, but maybe it’s time to cherish this use of language which I love love love also.
Having been tagged in various ways I’m expected to write things about myself and then tag others accordingly, but I’ve decided that as I need to prioritise the little energy I have I’ll skip both. (You should see me now, I’m literally hanging over the keyboard, trying to finish this post while my energy is trickling out of me. If it was visible there would be a puddle under my chair.). Anyway - you’ll gather enough about me and my thoughts through this blog, so there.
A warm and happy thank you to all of you who visit here and leave your traces – for the interest you’ve shown and the support and inspiration you’ve given - and please do keep coming!
4 comments:
I love the force of the physical tension in this piece, wish I could see it in person and observe the details more closely. Here there is hardly any breathing room in this dress and I feel my breath catching. For me, this piece evokes cocoon, spindle, an emotional state "wound up" and transitional growth because the dress seems to burst out, but also restraint, much like the process of becoming a woman, where there becomes a tightening of movement away from the awkward looseness of adolescence, and toward a grace and poise of a grown up which is both restrictive and structured. Perhaps slightly affected notions.
Red string has always had such strong, almost archetypal, connotations for me: body sexuality, blood, arteries.Then a few months ago I found out about the Kabbalah practice of using rachel's red string, and felt confirmed in some way. Like "see! someone else felt this way too!"
Hope you don't think my response is overenthusiastic, my first reaction was such a visceral one and then my mind just started whirring. It was one of those moments where I wish I had thought of it, but am so happy it has been brought into being that it doesn't disappoint me that I didn't.
keep going, inventing, tying... marjojo. Also if you are interested there is a good website with ideas about how to draw and what to experiment with. Have a look when you have extra energy: http://www.accessart.org.uk/.
Marjojo, I feel the same way as you, about having found a space where I receive feedback and know it's unbiased. Bit by bit I've been reading your earliest posts and find it wonderful to be able to see the pieces slowly take shape as well as your thoughts behind the work.
I wanted to let you know - and thank you for - some of your ways of describing my work I've used on the artist statement that I'm working on. You've been very helpful! Thank you.
hi Marjojo, this morning i woke up and one of the first things that came so clearly to mind was the image of your red column. it is strange as i momentarily connected with my lower back pain. for a second there, i am more vividly aware than ever of the solution for the pain. i really just need to breathe and breathe in deeper to release that tension there (in addition to doing my exercises, of course). i am doing it now and immediately my posture is changed and the back feels better supported.
i think those yoga instruction videos are going about the wrong way. they need to show more restrictive images of tension and strain, in addition/in place of those ocean airy scenery. i am looking at your red column image now and again, and i find myself breathing deep for it because it cannot fully do so.
also really love the little red detail on the hanger. it gives relief, like a litte whisper of a breath that it will always be able to make regardless.
Post a Comment