Spent an afternoon in @charlotterodenberg 's studio watching her work with her tufting gun and clipper! It was amazing to see the amount of movement and labor that goes into Charlotte's textiles.
We talked about the history of the American West, the acts of destruction brought on the cultures and people that inhabited that land before, iconography and the prevailing power of Hollywood symbolism, Annie Oakley's impact, and how art can inspire important dialogue about the present.
Our conversation about the past connects to something I'm thinking about and feeling through a lot right now: how do we heal individually and collectively and remember our "place / in the family of things"? (from "Wild Geese" by Mary Oliver)
And here's a quote from Robin Wall Kimmerer's Braiding Sweetgrass: "Even a wounded world holds us, giving us moments of wonder and joy. I choose joy over despair. Not because I have my head in the sand, but because joy is what the earth gives me daily and I must return the gift.”
#ʙʟᴀᴄᴋᴀɴᴅᴡʜɪᴛᴇᴘʜᴏᴛᴏɢʀᴀᴘʜʏ #artistatwork #studiovisit #textileart #womenartists #artandhistory #collectivehealing #maryoliver #robinwallkimmerer
Bashful pup! Today, I'm grateful for all the pets out there and the people who care for them. What is it about that special relationship between humans and animals? About a year into living alone in Ithaca, I really wanted a dog, but my landlord wouldn't allow it, and I see that now as for the best.
Over time, that initial longing has transformed into something else: a good reason to connect with strangers in the coffee shop or on the street, the ability to more fully appreciate and enjoy other people's pets, looking beyond my window more often at the birds and squirrels and deer that pass through and fill me with a sense of peace or joy or curiosity.
Something I'm learning: sometimes the answer to the longing we feel isn't what we initially think.
#dogportrait #blackandwhitephotography
Yesterday, I spent time with Jessica Rosner in her VCCA studio. We talked about the tally mark as an early form of communication, trying to make the term “catastrophic numbers” tangible, and appreciating the beauty that comes from imperfect results driven by a desire for perfection. B&w photos of Jess’s work coming soon! @joodeane
#artiststudios #vccafellows #artistatwork #artistresidency
Enjoying the big picture and small details of VCCA's sculpture garden. It's such a joy to be in this place surrounded by migrating birds, inspiring visual artists & writers, natural and cultivated beauty, and all the care that the VCCA staff brings to supporting artists.
@vacenterforthecreativearts
#blackandwhitephotography #artistresidency #vccafellow #mtsanangelo #artsinvirginia #leicamonochrom
FALLEN LIMB series
I’ve been thinking about fragmentation lately and part or parts being severed from what was once considered whole.
fallen (adj.)
1. having dropped or come down from a higher place
2. figuratively used to describe something that has lost its position, reputation, or moral standing
3. To be killed or defeated
From Old English fallan: “to fall” and Old Norse fall: “downfall, sin”
“Awake, arise, or be forever fall’n” —Paradise Lose, Milton
“Suppose I were to begin by saying I had fallen in love with a color.” —Bluets, Maggie Nelson
limb (n.)
1. an arm or leg of a person or four-legged animal, or a bird's wing
2. a large branch of a tree
From Old English lim: “organ or part of the body”
“Once again love drives me on, that loosener of limbs, bittersweet creature against which nothing can be done.” —Sappho
“Wherever the bird with no feet flew, she found trees with no limbs.” —Zami: A New Spelling of My Name, Audre Lorde
Thank you to Helena for lending me a hand!
#blackandwhitephotography #photoseries #leicamonochrom #words #literature #bookquotes #etymology
In September, I spent two weeks in the forest of northern Georgia for my first artist residency at Hambidge. The moment I stepped into my cabin, Foxfire, I thought of the cottage my grandparents had in Ontario, Canada. From six to seventeen, I visited every summer. At Hambidge, I let myself read when I wanted to read, sun when I wanted to sun, hike when I wanted to hike, write when I wanted to write. It offered me a space to return to my essential nature and the memory of that other cabin, sold years ago, where I was surrounded by the love and care and calm that my grandparents created. There are places on this earth that remind you: you are home.
#blackandwhitephotography #artistresidency #hambidgefellow #creativespace #grandparents #remembrance #leicamonochrom
