Currents Gallery in McMinnville is currently having their annual recycled art show, and Saturday night was the opening. Jake, Nils and I attended, and found one of my pieces, Universe (pictured below), won first prize!
Inside the box, I put a backing of a sheet of cardboard from a box sent from China (It says "Fragile" and then there are Chinese characters underneath that...thanks, Marlene), then added top and bottom pieces (at different depths) cut from a checkerboard. The "earth" is 1/2 of a styrofoam ball covered in a map (interestingly, the other half of the "earth" is in Universe, pictured above), and that is mounted on a spring I found on the ground one day at a farm sale. The wing on the spring is from a Lego set (see the other wing on Warrior Crow). The black wooden bottom piece which balances the weight of the top came at grandson Jake's suggestion. It was part of a roundish wooden frame with sunrays and stars around the edges, but in garish colors. He suggested cutting it apart (with my trusty tabletop band saw) so I would have some tops and bottoms, things I am always looking for. I painted them black to add weight and get rid of the awful colors.
I added a container of burned candles, some burned matches, and that is about it. The fun part is that the spring is so springy, even the slightest movement sets the earth in motion.
(Fragile copyright Diane Lou 2011)
6 comments:
congrats on winning 1st prize!
FRAGILE piece is terrific as well!
Thanks, Rebeca, on both counts!
Congratulations on Universe winning - it looks terrific. I also love Fragile, and your description of it. And once again you mention your trusty tabletop band saw and my heart beats faster and I think I WANT one of those.
Thank you, Carol....and yes, I'm sure you do want a tabletop bandsaw! I don't know what I did before I had it because I use it nearly every day in the studio to cut something up. Wait till you see the latest thing I found at the bins that I am now cutting up!
Wonderful news on your award! Congratulations :) It is so interesting to hear how your pieces come together from the different elements.
Thanks, Ruth! I hope talking about my process helps others in their creative work/play. Today I had a creative "accident" I'll talk about in upcoming days. It all continues to surprise me!
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