"Unseen Lines" text detail (c) Dianne Bowen
Drawing is like taking a line out for a dance, sometimes it's a heavy metal slam dance, sometimes it's as structured as a waltz, and sometimes it's a virgina reel and I'm just switching hands and partners, pencil, paint, paper, film...

An artist's journey making sense of the world through art, language and conversation.




Thursday, February 7, 2013

Think Tank Notes: February 7th

 "Histories Accumulations, I", 2012 (c) Dianne Bowen

I recently had a solo show, October-November, 2012 with NINAPI' Gallery-Nesting Art Gallery in Ravenna, Italy. Simply titled, "Tell Me Everything". Staying in Ravenna during the course of the exhibition and creating new works influenced by my time there brought many inspirations to work, process and thoughts for new directions moving forward. I brought a large journal to write my thoughts about the time there which I've continued thus far. Accumulation, history, art, culture, expression and use of books and re-thinking what constitutes a book? What is it about them which draws me to them, to create original artists books recently? Ripping the traditional ideas and associations of the traditional structure, bindings, how we look through them, what is a page? How are lines constructed and de-constructed? In the almost 3 months since, I'm still investigating these questions. To date I've created almost 14 of these original books in various techniques, mediums and materials. In doing this I created 2 of what I term or describe as a book construction installation titled "Histories Accumulations", 11/2012. The text, an original note poem is written on several sheets of paper nestled between layers separated by now at this time glass bowls which mimic the decorative domes throughout the city of Ravenna's architecture. A slim clock hand embedded into a sheet standing on an angle as if pointing towards a specific clock is underneath the second glass bowl. An ordinary T pin stands straight up on top again, referencing the architecture while maintaining it's original intention of holding something down or together. There are several elements which make similiar references throughout the work. How would you "read" it? A question I allow the viewer to answer. There are several ways, each requiring careful consideration. You could if desired move elements and pages, in essence taking it completely apart and putting it back together. The act itself maintains the intimacy and personal experience of reading a book but through a different way of doing so. It is to destroy it and rebuild it, over and over. Like history itself an organic telling of tales which shift in accordance to who, what, where and when.

I'm continuing my explorations and investigations into books. Currently with two more underway, I'm working on building a collection of about 25. 

"Histories Accumulations II", 2012 (c) Dianne Bowen, detail downward view

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