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The Muse's Storage Box

The Muse's Storage Box
Copyright Diane Lou.

Alchemical Dreams and Disparate Realities

Rust and bones, broken toys and old text, game boards, gears and nests. Even as a child such odd, unwanted items evoked a pit-of-the-stomach response that bordered on exhilaration.
While I make no attempt to conjure up specific feelings in the viewer, the ambiguous juxtapositioning of familiar materials creates art that evokes half-forgotten, dream-like visions that beg to be interpreted by the viewer. There is a sense of deja vu (the already seen) tempered by a sense of jamais vu ( the never seen, or the illusion that the familiar does not seem familiar), and this contradiction asks the viewer to dig deeply, to look inside her own repository of wisdom, intuition and experience to find her own meaning in the familiar objects she sees.
The once-private discards of people's material lives that I collect for my art seem to carry universal memories with them, memories that can engage and mystify the viewer. Their beauty lies within the rust, the erosion, the wear, and the mere fact that they were once possessions.
I play with abandon and with no forethought. Each piece of detritus seems to suggest to me a relationship with some other piece, and I begin to put them together and wait for the mental "buzz" that lets me know I am proceeding as I should. Even at this point, I continue to remain in the play state and will not allow myself to direct the outcome of the piece, a process that requires complete trust. The outcome often mystifies me as much as it might any viewer.
Remember when, as a child, whatever was in reach became the instrument of your creative exploration? That is my life. A rusty, flattened piece of metal on the street, a gnawed bone by the roadside, a unique twisted branch from a tree, a fallen nest, a broken egg, a snake's skin, a dead butterfly...all will be added to my collection and eventually have their beauty honored in one of my pieces. The resulting art creates a new story with its own imagined history, one that invites the viewers to lay some claim on it by allowing themselves to be enveloped by the sight, the history, and the ambiguity of the realities before them.

Friday, September 25, 2009

Two years of joy...



Two years ago on Tuesday, my dear Nils and I got married in our backyard while 70 family members and friends wiped teary eyes (as did we).  Best "man" Vickie and "maid of honor" Ron stood by us as our dear friend Suzie read our beautiful ceremony and vows.

It was a whirlwind romance which started on January 12, 2007, when we met on a snowy corner in McMinnville. Little did I know how that moment would change my life.
We met via eHarmony, and were ultimately named eHarmony's Oregon couple of the year for 2007 based on the story of our romance, a story which, by the way, continues through every day of our lives.
After many years alone (16 for me, 7 for Nils) what a great gift to find a mate so loving, good, fun and compatible!  Here's hoping for many, many more years ahead.


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5 comments:

glass on metal n clay said...

stumbled across your husbands blog onto yours what a wonderful story, best wishes Vicki

September 27, 2009 at 4:01 AM
Diane Lou said...

Thank you, Vickie! It is a great story. As it unfolded, I kept thinking, "Is this really possible?" Yes, it is.

September 27, 2009 at 7:46 AM
Anonymous said...

Hi Diane-
Wednesday of this week marks my 2nd anniversary as well, though I met my husband by being next door neighbors. Falling in love at this time of life is a special and wonderful experience in joy and pleasure. So glad to be sharing it with you!
Jackie

September 28, 2009 at 9:36 AM
Diane Lou said...

Best wishes to you too, Jackie! How wonderful! It's a great, great gift.
Diane

September 28, 2009 at 9:54 AM
Teri said...

You're a wonderful couple! So fortunate to have met you both! Teri

September 29, 2009 at 7:55 PM

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