Home to me as the person Robin is very much about belonging to community. Practicalities such as structure and spirituality both occur and can enhance our belonging. Home to me as the creature Robin, or as any other bird, is about flying and looking below and above, about survival, wanting long life for continuation of my species. As creature I am always connected to my environment - questions of spirit and belongingness don't occur.
I am a painter. I paint paintings and sometimes re-create old unwanted books through the use of carving and painting and drawing.
Book as object and art allows me to enhance what already exists. I’m both playful and serious when using serendipity and precision in cutting, manipulating, collaging and painting. The books are unique, and usually graffitied, foxed, water damaged, or otherwise unwanted. This combines my love of language with visual and sensual art. Often the old paper, the smell, and the description of knowledge and poetry inspire what I paint; inversely, what I paint may evoke more writing. In the case of these bird books, there is very little word-formed writing other than bits of asemic chicken scratch.
Each book is given new life. Previous words and images peek through or are covered with layers of paint. Each original page is inclusive to what I am painting. It folds and opens; containing a time past below the surface of the present story I put upon it - each embellishment places history upon history. The changing nature of the paper and print underneath the actual oil paint and ephemeral chance are part of the character of each book.
Reader's Art 12: Longing for Home
March 16- April 26, 2012
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