 
Exhibition 2009 |
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For Telling
Solo Exhibition,
David Kaye Gallery, Toronto My last show, "Things Said," was inspired by spoken words. For my new work, I wanted words again to be the catalyst. Last year, I came across a jar full of fortunes that I had collected between the years of 1986 and 1994. This period represented a new beginning for me, the promise of a new relationship in a new home. It struck me that the words of these fortunes could be my next source of inspiration. It seemed an interesting idea to respond in the present to a fortune I had collected in the past, that was meant to predict the future.
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A wish will be granted after a long delay2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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You are cautious in showing your true self to others2008 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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Executive ability is prominent in your make up2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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We must always have old memories and young hopes2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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You are contemplative and analytical by nature2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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Good news will come to you from far away2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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Life is a tragedy for those who feel and a comedy for those who think2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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A task put off today is a problem tomorrow2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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Life will be a battle until middle age; after that, peaceful2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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A wise man hears one word and understands two2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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You'll never know if you don't try it - do it!2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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The joyfulness of a man prolongeth his days2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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Everyone is a genius - at least once a year2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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You will always have good luck in your personal affairs2009 mixed media & collage, 6X6 in. |
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Time is precious, but truth is more precious than time2009 mixed media & collage, 6 X 6 in. |
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My process for this art project was to randomly pick fortunes out of the jar until it was empty. There was a large range of messages: from the descriptive to the prophetic, from the cliched to the wise, from the vague to the cryptic, from the mundane to the profound. My responses ranged from the irreverent to the respectful. I wanted to convey my reactions to the fortunes from my perspective of the present, looking back on how things actually turned out. I chose materials and imagery in line with my responses to the fortunes. I often used mylar to partially expose images, to show transition/transformation, and to create a sense of memory/dream. I also used old clippings from picture files of the 1950s that belonged to my father, an illustrator and portrait painter. Many of the images from the 50s resonated with the often cliched advice and projections of future happiness found in the fortunes. I chose the images in the same way that I draw, making unconscious and not always logical connections between the images and words. I chose to work small, as I wanted the viewing experience to be intimate and on a scale with the fortunes themselves. Drawing is always at the base of my work. I love the immediacy and directness of its gestures. It is well-suited to my minimalist approach of expressing both the profound and the mundane. It traces the movement of thought and emotion in both coherent and disjointed ways. |
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