The Samarium Chronicles: Top Secret–Classified

One year later, my piece for the Studio Art Quilt Associates’ exhibition Radical Elements is complete.  It is a huge relief to have the work done, photographed, and shipped to Ohio, where it will stay until its debut in May in Baltimore.  When I applied to be a part of the exhibition, I did not realize the pressure I would put myself under to complete the piece.

When you apply to most shows, you submit photos of a finished work.  If the juror(s) like it, it gets in.  If they don’t, you apply somewhere else.  For this exhibition, artists were accepted based on their portfolios.  Then we made work specifically for submission to the exhibition.  So you have to make a terrific piece and hope it lives up to your reputation.  Hope that it holds its own next to that of the other artists.  Yikes.

I won’t do that again–anytime soon anyway.

What ‘radical elements’ did I use in the piece?  Archival tyvek collaged with decorative papers.  A medical exam glove.  Window screen.  Magnets.  Guitar strings.  Some of these elements evoke the uses of Samarium.  Others allowed me to use my surface design techniques without fabric.  I included my new favorite technique of designing a portion of the piece to fall forward off the wall with gravity.  Radical indeed, don’t you think?

I can’t show you a full photograph, but here are some teasers:

My journal for the Radical Elements show includes some of the elements in the piece.  I was conflicted about including this, because I like viewers to come to their own conclusions about a work.  I don't like to 'give too much away,' in a sense.  It is kinda cool when art inspires a sense of wonder.
My journal for the Radical Elements show includes some of the elements in the piece. I was conflicted about including this, because I like viewers to come to their own conclusions about a work. I don’t like to ‘give too much away,’ in a sense. It is kinda cool when art inspires a sense of wonder.
It took 2 days just to design and make the packing materials for the work.  The magnets proved really tricky to deal with.
It took 2 days just to design and make the packing materials for the work. The magnets proved really tricky to deal with.
Ready for the road...and an address label.  I think I skipped out of the FedEx office....
Ready for the road…and an address label. I think I skipped out of the FedEx office….

 

detail, 'Samarium 62:  No Relation'
detail, ‘Samarium 62: No Relation’

If you see me in person I can show you a full size picture….  Have you ever finished an imporant piece ‘just in the nick of time?’

 

4 thoughts on “The Samarium Chronicles: Top Secret–Classified

  1. Thanks to you, Diana, I was able to put a few REAL samaras in my journal…I am thinking of re-vamping some imagery because I have the real thing to inspire me…Thanks.

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