Lots of Boxes

So I'm building lots of boxes - most in the same size range - and then I'm going to do all sorts of

experimental surface treatments - same kind of palette - some color added - and my mentor Robert and I are going to see what we think about them and how they want to live in this world. It is a kooky, intuitive, essential direction and I am having a lot of fun with it. I'll post when I get them covered.

Crunching the boxes

Now that the first draft of the thesis is in... I have much more time in the studio. A couple of weeks ago, my mentor Robert and I talked about distressing the box shapes a bit. This led to a great afternoon of smashing and learning how they would react to weight, pressure, stomping - and when they would just rip and break. I wasn't interested in the tearing and breaking, just the bending and curving. They have a whole new vibe to them. It is that awkwardness that I am interested in. So now I am making a bunch of prototypes and applying different surface treatments. Some may be open, they are all a general smaller, "commodity" size. I am experimenting with some colored commercial papers on some sides. Having the color imported from the everyday mailers that come to the house or commercial product labels. Still using the newsprint and newspaper with ink and paint.

We're discussing where they might be living - on the wall? on the floor? on pedestals? in mass? I'll keep you posted on the latest there.

New Mentor

Robert Yoder is my mentor this semester - He is a Seattle artist - represented by Howard House Gallery here and he also teaches at the University of Washington.

http://www.howardhouse.net/artists/yoder/default.html

The images above are his - He works in mixed media - a lot of collage -

and has been doing some curating here in the city.

He opens a show on this coming Thursday 8/6 , "Send me an Angel" at Howard House.

Robert is a terrific guy and very generous with his time and attention. It should be a fantastic semester.