 Dark Secrets 16" x 20" Found and painted paper collage This piece was actually completed in March but I am counting it for April!
Originally, this was to be a "concept" piece. I wanted to draw on some of my memories from when I was working in a bank many years ago. In the background of the piece is a kind of arch, beige in color, along with some mod looking blue patterned paper. I worked for a bank that had a very mid century modern motif-the owners actively cultivated that kind of look in all of their branches and buildings. The building I worked in was practically an historical landmark-everyone knew the building with the blue roof and arch on the boulevard. Well, the best laid plans... I began to deviate from the idea immediately. I threw in other things and the piece came together. It's crowded, I know, but I don't mind it. It became a repository for what I was thinking about, moment by moment. I am particularly fond of the images in the upper right hand corner. There are three pictures of Sir Isaac Newton contemplating the supposed apple that fell from the tree and gave him the idea for the theory of gravity. I learned that the story isn't substantiated by any evidence. Furthermore, there are many offshoots of Newton's supposed tree around the world. You can't pick any of the apples however. They are meant to be seen on the tree and can only fall off according to gravity. I thought that was pretty funny so I wanted to include the images. I also included a quote from East of Eden, by John Steinbeck. That quote drove some of the selection of the other images which I wanted to have a kind of "natural history" look to them. I like all of the different elements and feel they tie together through a limit on colors-that dark blue, red, cream and black. I think I am on to something here with using color to corral disparate images. I will see how the idea develops. Something new that I am doing is using colored pencils to color black and white images, whether it is an image I find online or one of my own photographs. I struggle mightily to find source material. I dislike spending my creative time looking for a specific image to fit an idea that I have. I often wish I could just draw the image; it would almost be easier. Anyway, I hit on the idea of using my own photos and sketches and coloring them with colored pencils. The pencils are so precise and I love the look of black and white and a little color. I will see where the idea goes. Lastly, the title of the piece does reference the original concept of the collage which was supposed to feature the company that I worked for during my short career. I was laid off in 2007 during the CA housing and mortgage debacle. The company I worked for had been a small mom and pop type of outfit in the beginning (though the business eventually grew to be in several states and became rather large). It came to pass that the owners sold the business and we all ended up working for a bank from back east. That was the beginning of the end. It soon came to light that the mortgage portfolio wasn't possibly as solid as presented. The company was solid in deposits but those mortgages, holy smokes! The whole housing industry fell into the toilet and mortgage lending was turned upside down by the sham mortgages and risky investments that came to light. No matter though. I was laid off and then the new company was sold to wells Fargo. Good luck there is what I say. There is no love lost between me and Wells Fargo. That whole story above that I related is why the piece is called Dark Secrets. Alright, thanks for reading. Until next time. Libby [email protected] |
Archives
August 2024
|
