"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.




Saturday, December 20, 2014

December 20, 2014

The outdoor interactive drawing is going really well. I visit at various times of the day to observe the changes. The cold affects my ability to do work for any length of time. I've finally made the first videos to document the piece at night. It's quite beautiful in a haunting way. The hues of blue are incredible. The shadows and movement in sync are fascinating to me. I am the observer.
I've also caught close ups of several elements on their own. 

Below is the link to the night video in full.

"Wild Is The Air", 2014

Detail of Metal element.

"Wild is the Air", detail metal element

Monday, December 8, 2014

BEING THERE

December 7, 2014 East Village Interactive Drawing Installation Mural (that's a mouthful)

 Winter, dusk brings evolution to my interactive drawing. Gusts billow metal, vine, light, and shadow, sounds repeat a new composition in progress.

A storm the night before shook my windows in the frames, billowing curtains from cracks in the wall and windows improperly installed. Falling asleep with hope it would continue the next day so I could catch it causing the mural piece to move with frantic play. The light is perfect in the later afternoon. The light is white turning warm yellow aging like parchment. The shadows deepen. The vines catch larger fallen limbs sway gently rocking them back and forth as a mother rocks her child. The light creates 2 dimensions of shadows; one of the trees and nature closest to the work, the other the urban wrought iron fence and gate in the foreground surrounding the park. This adds an eery play in light and shadow cast over the work moving just slightly off... I wonder as I watch and film, what if?

It was very active today and my friend George who sit's in the park carving things from fallen branches quietly whittles on the bench beside me.  George is an oldschool East Village character with many stories, a crazy life and a sense of humor to match. We chat as we work, and sometimes simply just smile with a knowing glance a moment of being alone is cool. No words needed. Today I noticed a group of younger college age people exiting shuffling and snapping pics as they left the park waving to George. He said "I was just explaining that your work makes sounds, music, it's a musical instrument at least to me of course. You know I was here a few days ago and I heard it. It was cool I really like to watch it." I asked what did it sound like, to me a drum symbol perhaps?" He smiled and said, "Ok, maybe to you, but I can't say exactly and laughed. I know it was like that but not that and I was looking for you to tell you it was making lots of noise."

I've filmed a good assortment of short clips to use for a longer video documenting the piece. It's taken on a life of it's own, it's progress or evolution while predictable to some extent is yielding so much more than I expected.

"Wild is the Air" indeed, being there....

"Wild Is The Air", 2014 daily diary, Filming in the late afternoon, (c)Dianne Bowen

"Wild Is The Air", 2014 daily diary, Filming in the late afternoon, (c)Dianne Bowen