PERSONAL GEOLOGIES

PERSONAL GEOLOGIES (1978-2018)

Drawings and Painted Constructions                                     

This work began in 1978 with the idea of “coming apart at the seams.” I felt I was giving birth to myself after my mother died. Having painted only realistically, I had to re-discover myself, finding my artist within. I was afraid to do abstract art – but that’s what I had to venture into in order to explore my feelings. So I ripped two 6 foot pieces of canvas apart, laid them on the floor, painted layers of orange and blue until I had a rich brown skin and pinned them together. I opened a hole in the center and stuffed it with hemp. I pushed tea leaves, coffee grounds, hole punches etc. into the paint and felt I was “earthing myself”, creating a rich foundation for what I might become.

I wanted to expose the process of creating, just like Earth exposes itself with extrusions, eruptions, sinkholes. I loved my Geology classes in college, and I thought I was creating landscape in a new way, a personal way – the landscape of the body with its growth and decay.

Over time, I explored Fire, Wood, Air (or Metal) along with Earth and created word poems for each expression. “Earth” is 40 years old, my first abstract painting. It was purchased by a fiber-sculptor in Chicago. When she passed a few years ago, it was returned to me!   I used all non-archival materials, and it has remained solid and steadfast with no deterioration! Such is life – we never know what lasts, so why not play with the possibilities!