Statement

I continue to consider the idea of monument, mostly through size, in my work along with the search for my own visual language to express sacredness. In the following works in process, the idea of very large human heads occupying space on the landscape suggests to me an anthropomorphized view of the landscape itself.

The earth beads integrate into the land, occupying a space between human-made and natural elements. They adorn the landscape in much the same way that beads are used to adorn garments.

In the animation project, I consider the circular nature of life (which is also suggested in bead shape) through a visual language that draws on archetypes.

I think of monuments (and my current work) as a kind of love letter from the living to the dead. It’s a way to reach across time to engage with those that came before. A letter is an intimate form of communication but it’s not immediate. It’s very much constrained by time and space and, yet, it can reach across distances or across time. I am engaged in a call and response to my heritage, my own psyche, and what I imagine is the psyche of the world. This is why landscape and, in specific, the landscape of the Bitterroot and Mission mountain ranges in Western Montana are so important to me. These are the areas where I grew up and which contain the echos of place and of family, either in the form of grave sites, event sites, or living blood relations.

 

Questions for the Reviewers

• I am looking for sacred visual language that is archetypal and de-centered. What is your read on this aspect of the work presented?
• I picked up several books that were suggested during my June review. The most prominent of these were Lippard’s “From The Center”, Elkin’s “On the Strange Place of Religion in Contemporary Art”, and “Reclaiming the Spiritual in Art”. Are there any other texts that I should be aware of?

 

Works In Process

Giant Head Sculpture, 40 x 56 x 48 Inches

Documentation pages: General Thoughts | In Process

Top row, left to right: 1. Concept drawing, 2. 1/8th inch scale maquette
Bottom row, left to right: 3. Second diagram, 4. Sculpture in process.

 

Beaded Earth, Scale Model 10 x 20 Inches

Documentation pages: Initial Thoughts | In Process

Top row, left to right: 1. Initial concept drawing, 2. Diagram of single bead.
Bottom row, left to right: 3. Second concept drawing, 4. Scale model sculpture in process.

Oil Painting, 36×48 Inches

Documentation pages: Initial Thoughts | In Process

Top row, left to right: 1. Concept drawing, 2. Sketch on prepared canvas.
Bottom row, left to right: 3. Burnt sienna toning, 4. Re-establishing the light masses.

 

 

Final Project for Animation Integration Elective

Stop-motion palimpsest combined with cut-outs.

 

 

Reflection

During our first week, when we were directed to create concepts for new work, Sharon made the statement, “Dream Big”. I took that to heart and allowed myself to consider concepts without the restrictions of time or money. It is interesting to me that I immediately gravitated towards land art as well as my more usual large sculpture and large-ish oil paintings.

The move towards land art is not a big surprise; I was unable to go home to the reservation, this Summer, thanks to COVID-19. In the past, I have spent at least a week there, attending Language & Culture Camp and visiting various places in the Mission and Bitterroot mountains and valleys. I think this lack underpins my interest in land art.

The other development, this summer, that was interesting but not necessarily surprising was my move from abstractive large scale sculpture to figurative large scale sculpture. I’m still analyzing why this switch happened. It may have been precipitated by the imagery of oversized human heads situated in a landscape which has been part of my conceptual image generation for this Summer session.

A third and unanticipated but interesting development happened during my Animation elective. At this point, thanks to that class, I have several concepts that I want to explore using video and/or animation techniques. Video is not a medium I usually think about when thinking conceptually.