Ken has got us all organised for another COMA exhibition - this one 'for the love of trees...' will coincide with the Woodies - the name affectionately given to the Wood Expo held here in May each year. The works will be on show at the Woodies on 4 & 5 May, and also at the UpFront Club in town for a few weeks afterwards.
The size was 12 inches x 24 inches or the same in cm and either landscape or portrait. I am not one for canvas, so looked around the block and started seeing things happening with some of the old fence posts we have lying around.
Given that old fence posts were once trees, I figured I had a link.
I described my vision to Barry and he helped me out by cutting the posts to size and assembling them. It's the sort of thing I could probably have done for myself, but it would have taken me ages. Barry gets this stuff and does it with ease.
The fence posts I chose had lovely notches and niches and rusty nails in them. Loud sigh.
They inspired my fiddling with barbed wire that I wrote about here, and I knew that I wanted those niches to hold books.
So... I made lots of little books using my embossed and de-bossed pages, and popped them into their niches. I knew I really wanted one niche to look like a bookshelf.
I gathered some more old barbed wire and cut it to size and held it in with rusty old spikes.
I love it when a piece you imagined in your minds eye come to fruition in a way that pleases you. I like the contrast of the grey timber, the cream paper and the rusty wire; they all seem to work together somehow. There is warmth and strength, gentleness, tenderness even, and respect for worn and used old things.
So to see the complete piece, here's an inside shot and an outside shot of "Old posts hold stories".
The size was 12 inches x 24 inches or the same in cm and either landscape or portrait. I am not one for canvas, so looked around the block and started seeing things happening with some of the old fence posts we have lying around.
Given that old fence posts were once trees, I figured I had a link.
I described my vision to Barry and he helped me out by cutting the posts to size and assembling them. It's the sort of thing I could probably have done for myself, but it would have taken me ages. Barry gets this stuff and does it with ease.
The fence posts I chose had lovely notches and niches and rusty nails in them. Loud sigh.
They inspired my fiddling with barbed wire that I wrote about here, and I knew that I wanted those niches to hold books.
So... I made lots of little books using my embossed and de-bossed pages, and popped them into their niches. I knew I really wanted one niche to look like a bookshelf.
I gathered some more old barbed wire and cut it to size and held it in with rusty old spikes.
I love it when a piece you imagined in your minds eye come to fruition in a way that pleases you. I like the contrast of the grey timber, the cream paper and the rusty wire; they all seem to work together somehow. There is warmth and strength, gentleness, tenderness even, and respect for worn and used old things.
So to see the complete piece, here's an inside shot and an outside shot of "Old posts hold stories".
I really like what you have made, it will suit to be changed when you wish to contain other pieces in the openings.
ReplyDeleteSome of your rusted paper or fabric would look wonderful too.
Diane.
Thanks Diane - it does offer up opportunities and options doesn't it? I am sitting with the grey and white at the moment; but yes rust belongs there too!
Deletenow that is really gorgeous!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Ronnie - I was really happy when I finished it.
ReplyDeleteSWOON !!! My heart is racing....
ReplyDeleteThank you Robyn - it is nothing near as detailed as your carvings, my niches were ready-made, but I do like how it turned out! Lovely to see the word swoon in relation to my work - wow!
DeleteGreat idea and super execution!!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Anna - it came together well I think, I like the softness and the age in that wood...
DeleteMy favorite combination of textures - weathered wood, beautiful smooth paper and rusty bits. Amazing piece, Fiona!!
ReplyDeleteAhh Valerianna - clearly some of my favourites as well! Glad you like, I think they make a beautiful combination, re-combnation, re-telling of an old and ancient story.
Deletethis is totally brilliant Fiona, love the contrasts in textures between the pristine whiteness of the embossed/debossed paper & the gnarliness of the barbed wire & the way the old wood ties it all together about what we as humans do to trees! I have an old red cedar fence post from Northern NSW that I have been carrying around with me for the past 25 years... the idea using red cedar,the most beautiful wood for fine carving as a fence post... beggars belief!
ReplyDeleteThanks so much Mo - I too love that contrast, smooth creamy white harsh rugged wire and tough weathered timbers. I love that you have carried that red cedar post with you! Almost a sin to use it for a post, but I bet it would have lasted!
Deletereally really love your lateral thought in this Coma piece Fiona. A beautiful juxtaposition of textures and thoughts in one beautifully coherent piece.
ReplyDeleteThanks Susan - I have been eyeing off the fenceposts for a few years, thinking they would make wonderful niches somehow, and then they rescued me from having to do canvas! What champions. The juxtaposition-tension is lovely isn't it? SOmehow it still feels soft to me.
Deletesuch a beautiful contrast of textures, tones, the soft and rough. wonderful work!
ReplyDeleteHi Suzie - thanks! The contrasts are beautiful aren't they and somehow they work.
DeleteGreat piece Fiona, a lovely combination of colours and textures.
ReplyDeleteThanks Helen - it is a heavy book! Still I do like the way the bits and pieces support each other and work together.
DeleteWow - this piece took my breath away! I just love the 'assembly' of wooden posts, wire/spikes & embossed books. I like also how the books are seen both with front/covers facing out & as a collection that lets you appreciate the beautiful spines (one of my favorite parts of a book). Lovely!
ReplyDeleteThanks Lisa - I too love running my fingers along the spines of books, and I knew I really wanted them to appear as if in a bookshelf. It has come together well with all the elements finding a happy balance, so glad you enjoyed!
ReplyDeleteI've been looking at this for days on my iPad, not wanting to comment until I was on my desktop, but continually going back to look. I, too, felt breathless when I first glimpsed this beautiful work. Hard and soft, rough and smooth, and yet so very elegant - perfectly conceived and made. I'm now eyeing off fence posts that my son collects...
ReplyDeleteOh Carol - I'm so late back to the party! Forgive me. I'm glad you enjoyed looking at it over time. It's a nice piece and feels right for me - all the random bits of things I love all together! And I would definitely keep an eye on those fenceposts, there are so many more stories to tell...
ReplyDeleteI can only echo what everyone else has said, and add my delight at finding your beautiful work.
ReplyDeleteThanks Jan! It's nice to find folk and we like across the interweb...Go well.
ReplyDelete