Correspondence

I was recently part of an interesting exhibit in New York City at The Westbeth Gallery.
The show was titled "Correspondence" and was curated by my friend Steve Clorfeine.
He had offered boxes of letters and postcards that he had received over the years
to a group of artists to play with, transform, and create artwork exploring, as he wrote -
"Correspondence : relationship across time and space."

I visited his studio this past winter to look through the boxes
and picked up a postcard and some fragments of typed letters.

Here is what I created - and what I wrote about the piece . . .

GOING DOWN
The image on this postcard drew me in and then the story on the back provided more information.
A boat with a heavy shipment of concrete sinking down slowly in the water.
I added fragments of typed letters to the waves and a cancellation stamp moon to the sky.
Then I began to write out a background field of thoughts and feelings, following the
movement of life within, allowing my inner landscape to be touched by the outer image,
layered, complex, somewhat hidden - giving voice to the weight and goodness of sinking,
dropping down, going deep, letting go . . .



Here are a few of the other pieces that were part of the show -

Leslie English - MISLAID MEMORIES
Two panels from her four panel box that opened to reveal mysterious forms -
so evocative and intimate !

Lanny Harrison - LETTERS TO MIMI
A lively collage using letters that Steve Clorfeine had written to Lanny's mother.

Suzy Sureck - DROP ME A LINE
An exquisite cascading of letters down the wall -
illuminated and dancing with gravity.

Ralph Lee - AIR MAIL
This piece covered one whole wall - playful and flying -
created by the beloved puppeteer and celebration artist.

Gurmi Lama - CHORTEN
A monument to the Buddha or other great teachers.
This one was decorated with small strands of prayer flags
made out of colorful postage stamps.

Christoph Zihlmann - UNREAD CORRESPONDENCE
A beautifully wrought painting of a stack of mail - catalogues, cards, publicity -
that we usually put aside, then throw out.
Giving attention to something ordinary, everyday, and overlooked.

Theresa Antonellis - ONE TO ONE (One Line to One Breath)
Stretching across a wall, each breath a line - in relationship to the page -
to the stroke - to the moment - again and again. 

It was all such an interesting and creative offering !

You can view more of the art from the show here - 

http://steveclorfeine.com/blog.html