Stitching it Together

We have an update (Whitney-Anne and me). It took us what seemed like forever to get this round together. And it was me holding things up, she's very prompt. But between the two of us, two cameras were dropped and one computer crashed. So they were both finished at a certain point last week, but I was unable to make a post with the results until now - no photos.


Cycle 7, Round 3:

What Whitney-Anne did here was to paint the outside edge with a nice cherry red color. Then she did some very fine stitching, with (I'm guessing) embroidery floss. She has given me a great geometric pattern to work with in the last round, in addition to the chaotic/loose background. I enjoy the juxtaposition.

Whitney-Anne Baker to Shana R. Goetsch

Brixham, Devon, England/UK to Baltimore, MD, USA

What I did here was to take the movable center portion and attach it to a different "base". This was something that was previously made that I had lying around because I had no idea what to do with it, so I saved it and used it here. I originally created this base, quasi-mosaic piece with magazine papers. However, I did paint a wash of China Orange over the whole thing before I attached it to the movable portion. I also selectively painted over some of the gold in the center that Whitney-Anne had laid down in the last round. A little extra *pop*.

  

Shana R. Goetsch to Whitney-Anne Baker 

 Baltimore, MD, USA to Brixham, Devon, England/UK 

So there ya have it! (so far)

From the Artistic Iammarino Family...

I just received a few updates from Alexis on the progress of the mandala created with her father. She says, "Both my dad and I are appreciating this process so much. It's exciting to see what has evolved since the other had it last!" Alexis and Richard are working on three pieces total, that's right three. Here are some images she sent me of their progress so far...

____________________________________________________

____________________________________________________

I am really enjoying all of these, especially the colored piece at the top.

ETA: Alexis just told me in an email that the materials they used so far are: pen and ink and colored pencil!

The next update from Whitney-Anne and me will be coming soon!

"Monad", by Guest Blogger, D. Garzelloni

Our own D. Garzelloni will be taking us through a few interesting concepts with her first guest blog post for ATCTE! Thanks so much, D!
______________________________________________________________

MONAD

“One principle must make the universe a single complex living creature, one from all.” - Plotinus

When I was a kid, my neighborhood friend Vicki and I invented a game. Separated from most of the neighborhood by age and gender, Vicki and I compensated by creating our own unique activities. One afternoon, while drawing in the dirt with sticks, we came up with the circle game and it quickly became our go-to game for filling time and space. First, we would draw a huge circle in the dirt and then we took turns drawing circles within the circle. We could make them any size we wanted, anywhere within the circle we wanted, eventually filling all the of the space and the game would be done. No winner, no loser. There was only one rule: in the process of drawing our circle, we could not upset any of the other circles or the main circle. Making our own marks, while maintaining the integrity of the whole; we were becoming individuals separate from each other, but still connected, connected to each other and the whole of nature.  

 

"There is geometry in the humming of the strings, there is music in the spacing of the spheres" -Pythagoras

 

Math is a difficult subject for most people to discuss even casually. Most of us struggle with math and the realization that we suck at it was, for most of us, a watershed event in our childhood. It was the first concrete limit placed on our potential and intelligence, it changed the way we were taught in school and the way we looked at the future. The few kids fortunate enough to excel at math were rewarded by being shouldered with additional academic responsibilities, the unrealistic expectations of parents and teachers and the prospect of a formal education that never ends. The math we were expected to master in school had little to do with real mathematics, and good or bad at it, we all had math ruined for us at an early age.

Imagine a time in human history when mathematics were regarded with awe, steeped in magic and mystery, rendering the secrets of the universe equally knowable to all mankind and then consider how our modern world is structured to create a sense of dread and inferiority at the mere mention of math.  Most of us would claim not to know or understand mathematics and yet, we are captivated by its principles clearly visible in nature in flowers, shells, crystals, plants, and insects. Our fear of math is a facet of our alienation from nature and ourselves, the Monad promises us reconciliation by reconnecting us with the language of the universe; Mathematics.

The ancient Greek mathematician, philosopher, and mystic, Pythagoras (c.570 - c.495BC), believed mathematical principles were the principles of all things and that all things can be known through numbers. Pythagoras, a mysterious figure who inspired messianic-like awe in his followers including Plato, was hugely influential in Western thought and philosophy as well as esoteric traditions such as Alchemy, Numerology, Rosicrucianism and Freemasonry.

Symbolizing perfection, unity, wholeness, divine nature, and design excellence, Monad is the Greek term for the principles represented by the circle. From the root word ‘menein’ which means ‘to be stable’ and monas or ‘oneness’ we get ‘Monad’. The Monad was known to the Pythagoreans as The First, the Seed, the Essence, the Builder, the Foundation, the Immutable Truth and Destiny.

Assigning a numerical value to the circle takes it out of the realm of the symbolic and brings it into the material world, where we can see concrete examples of how it works. The mathematical meaning simply reiterates the symbolic meaning. The circle symbolizes wholeness and, as wholeness preserves the identity of all it encounters, the philosophers gave it a numerical value of 1. The number one, sometimes referred to as ‘unity’, preserves wholeness, any number multiplied or divided by 1 equals the number. As a result, 1 is its own factorial, its own square, its own cube and so on.

5 ÷ 1 = 5   (5 remains itself)
5 × 1 = 5   (5 remains itself)

The circle is, quite literally, the mother of all geometric shapes. As all subsequent numbers proceed in single increments from the number one, all geometric shapes are inscribed within the Monad. All pattern and symmetry proceed from one shape. 

 

The circle is the cradle of our symbolic and mathematical universe, it embodies the characteristics of unity, everywhere the same and all circles are equal. It is the womb of our creative universe as well. The circle makes a mate for itself by contemplating itself, reflecting itself, casting its own shadow, by dividing and therefore multiplying itself. This process is mirrored though geometry in an ancient geometric construction called the vesica piscis, the Birth of the Other.  

"Life is born only of the spark of opposites." - Carl Jung

The ancients called the principal of ‘two-ness’ or ‘otherness’ the Dyad. They considered it with suspicion as it seemed to revolt from unity, distancing itself from the Monad. They referred to it as ‘audacity’ for its boldness and ‘anguish’ because of its separation from the whole. The Dyad is polarity; it is at the root of our notion of separateness, separateness from each other and from nature. The paradox of the Dyad is that while it appears to be separate, its opposite poles remember, and attract one another, which is why the ancients also called the Dyad ‘illusion’. The Dyad is at the basis for every creative process, as creativity allows us to discover and return to ourselves, in our deepest selves, we are beyond all polarity.

Discovery of the Circle is the discovery of the Self separate from the Other, an inside separate and distinct from the outside. It is our first glimpse into the perfection, polarity, unity and order inborn in ourselves and Nature. Everywhere wholeness and unity exist, yet remain unapparent, as in a seemingly simple yet profound children’s game.

Fathers and Daughters

I have some new pieces...with a twist! A few of my artist friends have taken this collaboration to a new level. It all started with Wes Way and his young daughter, they worked on a few mandalas together. This was such a delightful idea, that I decided to expand on it and ask my artist friend, Alexis Iammarino to join the project with her artist father, Richard. I will also be joining with my non-artist father in making a mandala soon! This is adding another dimension of community that I had not considered before. So, thanks Wes, truly, for your art of being a good father, and to all fathers involved for encouraging creativity and independence in your daughters.

On with the show. Wes's daughter is a very young artist, around 2 years of age. Daddy and daughter worked on two pieces, but he was not happy with the first...the separation between the two-the imagery was too vast. So for the second piece (below) they worked together at the same time and in the same space...

I think it looks like the Tree of Life.

Leave it to a two year old to subconsciously pick up that bit of universal, archetypal brilliance.

The next piece is courtesy of Richard and Alexis Iammarino. They are both prolific artists, Alexis works in many mediums, including dance, painting, film and all types of community and participatory arts, and she has quite the extensive journaling and reading practice. Richard Iammarino makes crow-quill pen and silver point drawings, he is also a painter, and a sculpture. The two started working on a piece together and I have images of their first round!

Here is Alexis showing me the piece her father started in pen and ink

This piece promises to be very intricate, I can't wait for them to work on it more, AND I can't wait to start a piece with my dad over winter break from school. Happily, community comes in many forms, my friends!

Turning the Tables with Elbee

Very insightful! A great new artist interview with Elbee from Tallahassee, Florida y'all!

1. Thinking back, I might have pressured you into it, that being said, what interested you in joining this collaboration?

I'm not easily pressured into doing things I don't want to do, the pressure I felt was more of an artistic, loving nudge from someone who has faith in me, my talents and potentials; things I typically underestimate about myself. What interested me was tapping into that silent side of myself and watching what came to pass!

2. You've described yourself in the past as a "non-artist", but I was wondering what being an "artist" really means to you.

To me, an artist is someone who has, for a better lack of understanding, found their innerchild. When we are children, we are not afraid of our creativity; we shine in it, we thrive in it. When we become adults, that child tends to become muted and hidden and many times locked away forever. A true artist is someone who not only feels that innerchild, but embraces it and reflects it back to the world.

3. Was the artmaking more of an intimidating process for you, or did you enjoy yourself?

As a non-artist, many times the process felt intimidating, usually when I would question how my piece would compare to the other participants. I would find myself wondering if they would ask just what the heck this ridiculous piece of glued items was doing in an art series. However with that being said, I would remind myself to hush and let the art speak for itself.

4. Is there a specific part of this project, beyond your direct involvement, that is interesting to you?

I am very excited to see the series completed, displayed and presented to the art world. I am honored to be a part of such amazing creations.

5. What does the mandala mean to you in your life? Does it apply?

The mandala means a few things to me--it sparked some real creative juices for me so in a sense, it was a rebirth. I have been making collages since the series started and came to the conclusion that even a non-artist can create something thought-provoking and beautiful.

***Now we'll turn the tables, wherein you may also ask me a question. I'll post my answer on the blog with your interview...it can be whatever you want!

What was the most satisfying part of the series? Most frustrating?
Why are you so smart?

...I think the most satisfying part of the series has been getting mail/packages, honestly.  I do enjoy making things work and marrying two divergent styles together. That gives me a certain sense of "thinking" satisfaction. But I really like getting mail. I don't get enough packages or mail that aren't bills, I rarely get presents, and if I do they are usually not wrapped, so I love opening packages! It's more of an inner child response I suppose, but my gut still tells me that I LOVE GETTING MAIL.

If I am smart at all, it is because I have phenomenally intelligent parents and their genes naturally elevated my mediocrity a teensy bit. ;) Thanks for being open and willing to take a chance on this project with me!

Movable

I have another update from Whitney-Anne Baker. Whitney, much like Heather Gordy, works fast. I am used to holding onto these things for months...but not with Whitney-Anne. She receives it, works on it and sends it...and then lets me know it's sent. My reaction is always akin to, "Oh crap, better get moving!" So, I did send hers out, and she received it again. The mail (or "the post" as Whitney-Anne says) seems to work pretty fast between here and there, which is fantastic. Now onto the show!

Cycle 7, Round 2:

Whitney made the mandala movable! How awesome is that? It looks like she took the mandala, cut out the center, sparingly applied some gold paint, mounted it all on some bright, aqua painted cardboard, and then made it move by clipping it to the back. Genius! I would never, in a million years, think of that, but it seems to be the most natural state for a mandala - changeable.

Whitney-Anne Baker to Shana R. Goetsch

Brixham, Devon, England/UK to Baltimore, MD, USA

Here I am moving it around with the tabs provided. Right now, it reminds me of a compass.

For my round, I again utilized some recyclables. I had been saving the playing card I used (for the red/white portion) for quite a few years. I originally saved it because it has cute little winged creatures on the back. Beyond that, I ripped some of the cloth off of the mandala that Whitney-Anne sent to me. I did this because I knew that the glue she used would leave a nice residue and create another pattern. Then I literally just covered the whole thing in my dirty watercolor water. The remnants of my watercoloring were a nice purpley-red color this time. 

 Shana R. Goetsch to Whitney-Anne Baker 

 Baltimore, MD, USA to Brixham, Devon, England/UK

 Sssshhh, don't tell anyone my watercolor water is that dirty. I am the worst about using actual clean water.

BTW, Whitney-Anne also sent along this postcard which gives us a visual of the town she lives in...

Now we all know about how quaint Brixham is, thanks Whitney-Anne!

Mayans and Crop Circles

I found and watched another film about crop circles. I must admit that this is one of the most fascinating phenomena for me. Our class recently took a trip to the American Visionary Art Museum here in Baltimore to see, "All Things Round", and included in that amazing exhibition were some photos of crop circles as well. I think crop circles are beautiful, very mysterious and exciting. Not so secretly, I'm hoping their creation is due to aliens. Anyway, this film really made a lot of sense to me, judge me if you must, but it really did...

Free on Hulu right now: Mayan Prophecies and Crop Circles

Tricksters

I had to laugh when I opened the package from Whitney-Anne, just because it was the very antithesis of what I had expected from her. Never underestimate...her note even said she had some tricks up her sleeve. I believe it. Based on her past work, what I expected was something digital, with high color. What I got was paper, fabric and stitching, in a cream on white color scheme!

This brings me to a little anecdote about my philosophy and pedagogy class--it's a class about teaching art in college--we have to design a curriculum for two classes, complete with sources and references, and reading material for them, whatever we want. One book I chose to have as required reading for the students in my class, "Not Your Grandma's Watercolor" (for real, I named the class that) is Chromophobia by David Batchelor. "Chromophobia" is "a fear of corruption or contamination through color". It just makes me laugh when things are so topical and linked together; real life and art life. The Universe is such a trickster.

So needless to say, I'm going to get craaaazy with this, because I ain't afraid of color...watch out Whitney-Anne! This is her stitched canvas and paper piece...

Cycle 7, Round 1

 Whitney-Anne Baker to Shana R. Goetsch

Brixham, Devon, England/UK to Baltimore, MD, USA

I liked the stitching on the back as well as the front, so if I decide to use the back I will have to take a photo of it first (mental note). On to me and what I sent to England, which was something very colorful and simple, it's made of yarn on cardboard! I made quite a few of these during the months of August and September and this is one of them. This was used as a technique in an art workshop I facilitated with the kids and adults at the domestic violence shelter. It's somewhat about concentration and creating order, subconsciously. That aside, I hope Whitney-Anne rips this thing apart!

 Shana R. Goetsch to Whitney-Anne Baker 

 Baltimore, MD, USA to Brixham, Devon, England/UK

Next up, Artist Paula Phillips, also from Baltimore (I'm mixing it up).

Elemental

Recently, I was invited by my friend Jessica Wyatt to be a guest artist in her GTI class, Elements of Visual Thinking. Jessica is the GTI or Graduate Teaching Intern for one for these classes at MICA. I was graciously welcomed by the professor of the class, Colette Veasey-Cullors and all of the freshman students. The theme of the class was, you guessed it, mandalas!

Jessica and I essentially created a two day curriculum. We utilized the knowledge of one of our MFACA professors, Cinder Hypki, who gave a presentation on the background and symbology of mandala the first day. The second day, after a short, for lack of a better phrase, "artist talk" from me, Jess and I broke the class into pairs/groups. We then asked them to work together to create a finished mandala during class time. This was a workshop that was designed to get them in touch with other ways of working, and a way of managing an archetypal symbol.

Since the mandala is such a broad, universal topic, we really used a "top-down" approach to the lesson. Cinder's presentation revealed the universal - macro to micro - use of the mandala. Jess and I then brought it into the collective realm of this very blog project. We recreated a variation of the Art That Circles The Earth Project, the catch being, that the participants had to decide amongst themselves, HOW to work together.

Many of the students worked in tandem on the mandala, but several pairs took a different approach by taking turns, working on the collective mandala piece separately. Two of the students were quite radical, in that they used coding for the project. They created code on their computers for sound and the mandala. Their manner of working was interesting to me, in that they sat right next to each other, and worked on separate parts of the whole, while focusing almost exclusively on their respective computers. Their efforts came together well for their critique, in the form of a participatory piece, which we all had a hand in.

Since I consider the mandalas more of a "sacred space" and we really wanted them to inevitably create personal art, their assignment (working on a personal mandala piece) was not critiqued, but the group work was. After the collaborative mandala critique, one of the students rightly noted that it was difficult to critique the collaborative pieces, which I completely understood.

But this lesson was really to make them understand that artmaking, critique, being an artist, might take many different forms throughout their career. Their role as artist may be expanded, or conversely, contracted, depending on the manner in which they work, the challenges they meet, or their own intent for each piece of art. So, we presented them with a challenge or two, and they made it through their collaborations with flying colors, and not much grumbling.

Some of their personal work was shown, but the students were not pushed to show it or speak about it. Everything was voluntary as far as their personal mandala assignment was concerned. I am glad that many still took this assignment to heart, even though they were not obligated to speak about it or expected to share it with the class. My time with them showed me that they are willing to try new things, are thoughtful about their artmaking, and really "got" the idea of "personal art" through these explorations with the mandala.

More photos of the students working together in class are below...

FOOD!

The mandala that Jess and I made together...

On the day of the critique there were a few unique surprises. A piece that glowed...

And a piece that was generated by participants...

 

Although this is a screen capture (below), it does not, in fact, "capture" what was going on here, nor the movement of the whole when it was finished. Both of these pieces, along with an audio piece generated from the sounds of us all talking in the workshop session, were very transitory. They existed only under certain conditions; in the dark, or upon audience participation. 

"The idea of mandala seems extraordinarily abstract. We see it as a metaphysical or philosophical principle. We cannot learn anything about it unless we see how the mandala principle is connected with a learning process or a practicing process. The Sanksrit word mandala literally means “association” or “society.” The Tibetan word khilkhor means “center and fringe.” Mandala is a way of looking at situations in terms of relativity: if that exists, this exists. If this exists, that exists."   

-“The Razor’s Edge,” in Orderly Chaos: The Mandala Principle, Chogyan Trungpa

Thanks again to Jessica, Colette and the students in "Elements" for letting me share the mandala with you, it has really informed my own thought process regarding my ensuing thesis work, as well.

Strength

Did I ever tell you that I've known Elbee since I was 14 and we were both very silly and little and got into a lot of silly little trouble? Well, I have, and she's been very kind to me over the years; one time, she even took a spirit possession for me (! for reals). She's still one of the strongest and wisest and oddest people I know. Also, she made this mandala with me... :) I think this piece speaks to all of her aforementioned qualities. This has the weirdest "ingredient" list of any of the mandalas so far: a bubble wrap envelope, watercolor paint, coffee, an unused heating filter, acrylic paint, random plastic objects, metal, lace and wood (and a little something pink, because that's just who Elbee is). Whew. You can view the entire process here, and then the finished piece is at the end. YAY!

Cycle 4, Round 4:

Shana R. Goetsch to Elbee
Milwaukee, WI to Tallahassee, FL

Elbee to Shana R. Goetsch
Tallahassee, FL to Milwaukee, WI

Shana R. Goetsch to Elbee
Baltimore, MD to Tallahassee, FL  

Elbee and Shana R. Goetsch
Mandala completed in Tallahassee, FL

Boomerang

I have just finished the piece between Momo Luna and me! This one is bright and glossy and pretty, specifically, it reminds me of candy mints. To finish this piece, I did a little painting and a small amount of printmaking. There were a few objects on this piece in the last round, which I removed and then printed directly on the paper in the spot where they were originally (they are the aqua spirals). I also put a light wash over the pieces, creating less of a white background for the faces. Then I painted some solid colors in designated areas, and added some bright red strips along the edges. I struggled a bit with resolving this piece, but I think it's really "there" now.

Now, let's take a trip down memory lane for the completion of this mandala, Cycle 5, Round 4...

 Moma Luna to Shana R. Goetsch

Arnhem, Gelderland, Holland to Milwaukee, WI, USA

Shana R. Goetsch to Moma Luna

Baltimore, MD, USA to Arnhem, Gelderland, Holland

Moma Luna to Shana R. Goetsch

Arnhem, Gelderland, Holland to Baltimore, MD, USA

 Shana R. Goetsch and Momo Luna

Mandala completed in Baltimore, MD, USA

It was great working with Momo Luna on this piece, and it still retains her distinct flavor, despite my working on it as well. Good show! I'll have another post in the works soon, because I have just received Elbee's last round in the mail today!

Over Land and Over Sea

Please help me welcome our newest contributor, artist Whitney-Anne Baker! Whitney-Anne is from Devon, United Kingdom. I must admit that I had to go look up exactly where that was. Now we all know. As you may have guessed, I know Whitney-Anne through the blogging world. She has two of her own blogs, Whitney's Weird Stuff and What Whitney Made Next. She also has a few thriving Etsy shops, Every Girl's Story and Scribble Domain which has THE COOLEST THINGS EVER. I'm sorry for shouting, but I think it's true, and that she should make these designs into wallpaper....so that I can hang them on my wall. Whitney-Anne seems to be versed in a lot of different media as well as digital, She sent along images of some paper pieces, which she described as being in her "old style".

 

 Paper Experiment No.1

Whitney-Anne Baker

 Paper Experiment No. 2

Whitney-Anne Baker

In her own words, "I began making art about 15 years ago although I had always made things as a child ( lego, lots of lego ). Over the years I have tried lots of different things; hand-made paper, artist's books, textiles, collage, abstract art, experimenting with as many different techniques and mediums as  I could. Being self taught gave me a lot of freedom! I loved it all but Photoshop is where everything came together for me. For my digital pieces I take lots of photographs, scan in found images and text, cut out shapes, use papers that I've painted to create texture, scribble with the mouse and generally mash it all up."

While My Guitar Gently Weeps

Whitney-Anne Baker

Blue Collage 2

Whitney-Anne Baker

I really relate to this statement, especially the last little bit of it, "and generally mash it all up". I used to be more of a purist, in terms of technique and use of media, but over the years I've grown to really love mixed media work, and now couldn't imagine myself not mashing it all up!

I'm very excited about working with another artist outside of the United States. I'm hoping that Whitney is able to incorporate her digital imagery into this somehow. I may need help if it's on a digital file, but it's been far too long a time since I have said I wanted to learn how to use my Photoshop. The program is just sitting here on my computer, its power only used for re-sizing images and the most menial of tasks...maybe we'll get a work out, who knows!

In the meantime, Whitney and I are both mailing our first rounds this weekend/Monday-ish. I know that it might take a few weeks for them to arrive in the mail since they are going overseas and that stuff can be expensive to mail, shoot y'all....but please check back to see the results!