Look Again Project

I've been struggling to complete an interesting project but life's unavoidable roadblocks have made it impossible to finish on time. I feel really guilty about this and have been attempting to just go ahead and see if I can at least finish my piece; even if I won't make the deadline.

The Boston Printmakers' BP and The Art Complex Museum ACM have collaborated on an exhibition called "Look Again".  Forty-two prints from AMC's collection were singled out and members from the Boston Printmakers were challenged to create response pieces. Prints

I selected a print by Kenneth Kerslake entitled "Sense of Place". This 1977 photoetching caught my attention not only because of the interesting composition but the title really resonated with me.

What is it about a particular place; how does one capture its essence? And, if you had to choose between two very distinct environments, both of which you love, would you be able to? These were the questions that came to mind when I saw Kerslake's print.

Two environments I call home have distinct characteristics that I adore. One is a very private, nest like sanctuary: alive with wildlife, the sent of the earth surrounding you as it responds to the seasons with glorious transformations.  The other is incredibly beautiful with its sense of infinite space: open horizon, the smell of salt in the air and the awe inspiring power of the waves providing an endless soundtrack both day and night. When I’m home in the woods, I’m thinking about the water. When I’m at the shore, I’m thinking about the woods.

I wanted to make sure that I wasn't tempted to just create a straightforward version of Kerslake's photoetching. In fact, one of my first attempts felt a little too similar to the inspiration piece so I decided to scrap it all together and work in a different manner.

Conundrum; woods or water?

Monotypes forced me to work more spontaneously and helped me to focus on the idea of "place" rather than the photoetching process; hoping to achieve a different similarity between Kerslake's print and mine.  Adding collaged prints to the monotypes and building up layers seemed like a good way to let the work evolve and embrace the unexpected. Two house shapes, one with water and one with woods, were cut out and inserted into their opposite environments to illustrate my conundrum.  “Woods or Water?” speaks to this dilemma of a choice between the two.

I'm stepping back for a bit to consider if I need to add anything else before I put this piece to rest.