Robyn Gordon 2013
"Every man should be born again
on the first day of January.
Start a fresh page.
Take up one hole more
in the buckle if necessary,
or let down one,
according to circumstances;
but on the first of January
let every man
gird himself once more,
with his face to the front,
and take no interest in the things
that were and are past."
- Henry Ward Beecher
Wishing you all everything of the best for 2014
Tracey Deep is a floral sculptor inspired by nature. See more here
There is nothing quite like
the feeling of calm that envelopes one
when out gathering
I love returning from a walk
laden with bouquets of drift wood
I'm drawn to driftwood colours
soft greys, warm woodiness, sun bleached naturals.
Wood, tossed about in the sea
the edges rubbed smooth by sand and water.
North Carolina artist Patrick Dougherty create's freeform sculptures woven together out of branches. See website here.
As a boy, Patrick Dougherty gathered twigs. He began "drawing" with sticks and later he used saplings and tree cuttings found along hydro lines to create his magnificent sculptures.
Patrick Dougherty gathering branches. Website here.
"It seems like humans have to continuously struggle with ideas about nature and redefining our relationship with the natural world. Domesticated gardens versus the wilderness are part of a worldwide discussion and part of my (our) inner conflict. Certainly gardens are a kind of rendition of the unfettered wilds. Shrubs, trees, flowers and grass become commodities and are forced into human geometry. I try to free the surfaces of my work using sticks as a drawing material, work them in such a way they look like they are escaping those chains of being planted in a row. I imagine that the wilderness lurks inside my forms and that it is an irrepressible urge." - Patrick Dougherty
I enjoyed John Grande's interview with Patrick.
Large scale temporary sculptures from materials gathered in the nearby landscape by Patrick Dougherty
"It seems that people like gardens and grass, but they desperately desire a connection to wilderness" - Patrick Dougherty
"Tree Fall" by Andy Goldsworthy. The ceiling and suspended tree branch have been covered in clay. Goldsworthy has succeeded in creating a "Hobbit hole". Read about this new installation here.
Andy Goldsworthy with his installation, Tree Fall
"I enjoy the freedom of just using my hands and "found" tools -- a sharp stone, the quill of a feather, thorns. I take the opportunities each day offers: if it is snowing, I work with snow, at leaf-fall it will be with leaves; a blown-over tree becomes a source of twigs and branches. I stop at a place or pick up a material because I feel that there is something to be discovered. Here is where I can learn." - Andy Goldsworthy
Islamic/Meso America by Loren Eiferman. Website here
"The wood, for me, is now a line in space created by hundreds of smaller pieces of wood jointed together to create one sculpture. To create my work, I usually begin with a drawing, an intention of what direction I want my sculpture to go in. I start out each day with a walk in the woods and gather sticks that have fallen to the ground." - Loren Eiferman
Black Hole by Loren Eiferman. Website here.
Loren Eiferman. Website here
Roger Ackling "draws" on found wood with a ray of sunlight through a magnifying glass.
I know! Amazing!
Found wood assemblage by Roger Ackling. See more here.
Assemblage by Roger Ackling
Flying machine by Wim Del Arte. Blog here.
Wim Del Arte spends many a day out walking along the banks of La Palma, gathering drift wood and found objects. He then creates the most amazing array of art with his lucky finds. The flying machine is assembled from driftwood, aluminium, copper, rusted metal, bits of twisted plastic and spark plugs found on the beach of Tazacourt.
"Collectors are happy people" - Goethe
It seems that I've been busy
Not really...
A lot on my mind
while I carve and tweak
small carvings for a special order
I've been keeping a secret ....
but now I can share it with you....
It is a cold dark night
The heavens open
and much to my daughter's consternation
we follow the children onto the veranda
Why are we outside in a blizzard?
J has found a bird nest with babies in it
Come and look
My daughter puts on her happy face
and goes out into the rain
The nest is in a ticky creeper at eye level
She peers into the nest
Her face registers shock
My future son in law
drops to his knee
She says yes
Oshun, African Goddess carved by Robyn Gordon
OSHUN the African Goddess of beauty, love, prosperity, order and fertility.
Her name is synonymous with transformation.
"She is widely loved, as She is known for healing the sick and bringing fertility and prosperity, and She especially watches over the poor and brings them what they need. As Orisha of love, Oshun is represented as a beautiful, charming and coquettish young woman".
Read more about her here and here.
Initially I was drawn to Oshun because she is the mother of the birds and the fishes. Fish (my husband is a passionate angler) and birds feature highly in our lives. At first I knew only a smattering of facts gleaned in books but later the internet provided a deeper knowledge of her qualities and I became even more intrigued.
I have a Brazilian friend living in the States who knows her as Oxum. With the African diaspora Oshun was introduced to the Americas. Her name changes slightly from country to country but no matter where she is, she is loved and respected.
Oshun, African Goddess carved by Robyn Gordon
Penny (Back Valley Seasons) commissioned one of my small niche carvings recently and asked me to do a post with photos showing where I find the objects that go into them.
Many times it's a case of 'the early bird get's the worm' so we set off to weekend markets at the crack of dawn.....
.... to arrive there when stall holders have just set up their wares.
Our favourite market is just under an hour's drive away and begins at 6.00am.
Sometimes I find small or unusual pieces on street vendors tables...
.... at scrapyards and junk shops throughout KwaZulu Natal
Vintage furniture dealers out in the country...
Wherever we go we are on the look out for shops that sell old bits and pieces, though it's becoming harder and harder to find the bargains. We live in hope...
Beach gathering is my favourite pastime. Husband goes fishing on three coasts..... North, South and the most beautiful of all, the Wild Coast in the Transkei. When I can I will tag along and we holiday at the Wild Coast at least once a year.
Up at dawn to catch the ferry across the estuary ....
to the other side where I spend the whole day walking....
.... sifting through shells
searching for solitary cowries in sand hollows and pools
collecting driftwood
... and pebbles.
There was a time
before I started selling my totems....
(before I was brave enough to put them out there)
when I created solely for myself.
The walls of my little studio were lined
with totem after totem
stacked one against the other
their weathered faces watching over me.
I discovered a quote by Wosene Kosrof
which was an Aha! moment for me
He said "The more I go to the studio,
the more I create my spiritual crowd".
I felt strongly that I had created
my own spiritual crowd.
After my first exhibition my studio emptied
It was a time to rejoice
but I also experienced feelings of loss.
Thankfully my work sells quickly.
I am grateful that people feel a connection to my work
and I wouldn't have it any other way.....
but I do miss my spiritual crowd
filling my studio
with their silent chatter.
Setting out on a road trip. Weaver wondered about my neck of the woods, KwaZulu Natal. Click here and scroll to get a general idea of where I live.
Today I discovered the amazing art of Michael Zelehoski. At first I couldn't make sense of what I was seeing on the computer screen.
Were they actual boxes and pallets? Photographs ? Paintings?
What Michael has done, in his own words....
"involves the literal collapse of three-dimensional objects and structures into the picture plane. This simple gesture – which is basically just taking things apart and putting them back together flat – is at the heart of what we think of as two-dimensional, representational art."
I was so enthralled when I made this discovery that I called my husband to look. He had a puzzled expression on his face. LOOK! this guy has flattened a box and made a picture from it so it still looks like a box and you aren't even sure whether it is 3 dimensional or two!!! And do you know what he said ?
"I don't get it."
In all fairness, I did drag him away from the rugby ...... and he usually gets it.
Have a look at Michael's process here to see how he collapses the object and puts it all together again.
"Somewhere, something incredible is waiting to be known." - Carl Sagan
Untitled (detail ) , fabric, wood, rust, 132 x 288 x 8 inches by Leonardo Drew
Discovering the imposing work of Leonardo Drew was a turning point for me. I couldn't believe what I was seeing .....
Huge wall mounted tableaux of stacked boxes, nooks and crannies stuffed with found objects ...... rusted debris, papers, fabric, discarded wood and domestic and industrial trash.
Installation by Leonardo Drew
In a way Leonardo Drew gave me permission to continue collecting junk. Afterall, collecting and making art can go hand in hand. I had already started creating my niche carvings but I was finicky about the objects I chose to put in them..... and paying through the snout for these objects too, I might add. Since discovering Leonardo's work the more junkier junk is creeping into my art and I do like it!
Detail of one of my niche carvings.
"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk." - Thomas Edison
Assemblages by Romanowski
Swiss-born artist, Romanowski certainly knows how to fill his assemblage boxes with prime found objects. I imagine he spends many a blissful hour hunting the streets of San Francisco or there abouts. His work can be seen at Fabric8 Gallery, San Francisco. Click here and scroll to the bottom to see the rest of Roman's work on this exhibition.
Turntable, assemblage by Romanowski
There are a few more nooks and crannies to explore at Musing Relics where Lynne Parks features her work......
Assemblage by Lynne Parks
"I am drawn to the discarded, forgotten, and obsolete which are by no means inert. I collect fragments found in the marginal spaces of alleys and abandoned buildings, trash heaps and flea market bins."
"As a child, I explored the unfamiliar and forgotten objects cluttered in my parents' drawers. Many afternoon hours were spent guessing at their practical usage, often as not imagining unlikely ones and imbuing them with life. The fountain pen nibs, defunct cigarette lighters, sewing machine parts and broken jewelry were my "plastic animals." My father's horological tools were especially evocative, later I was entranced with his beautiful landscape designs. My brother Bob and I read mythology together and I appropriated the notion of composite beasts." - Lynne Parks
I love Lynnes statement. It reminds me of my own childhood when squirreling found objects took up most of my day. The assemblage (below) by Kecia looks much like the boxes of treasures I kept in my "museum".....hoping that one day Gerald Durrell would stop by and be very impressed.
Typesetting Nature Box by Kecia Frazer Deveney at Lemoncholy
"We are left with objects that have a hollowness that we can fill with our own wonder and fantasy." - Thomas Moore
Shadow Box, lithograph by Clayton Thiel
Last but not least, little nooks with handmade treasures within.
White Pebble, (Ceramic) by Novie Trump
The Waiting by Novie Trump.
