Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Down then Up


Feeling characteristically down, I went to the internet to see what I could find. Normally I try 'funny cats', but somehow I happened upon a website called 'In the Make: Studio Visits with Artists and Designers. It is a site run by photographer Klea McKenna and writer Nikki Grattan. The two travel around documenting wildly cool artists through intriguing interviews and stellar photography.

The site is beautifully laid out: boat loads of white space, clean text, and vibrant colour photographs. I was immediately drawn to the entry on Mary Button Durell. Giant shaped paper reminiscent of my childhood attempts at geometric beehives, spirograph fleshed out, and candy. Her medium is tracing paper, wheat paste and recently adding acrylic paint. The result is playful and ethereal. 



In her own words:

"I’ve chosen to work with the properties of light and translucency, biomorphic forms and patterns. The work has been compared to natural worlds: subaquatic, celestial and cellular. Depending on the process and the light, the individual pieces can take on the characteristics of different, more solid materials such as wood, bone, shell or marble."

Subaquatic - definitely. There is also definitely a scientific element to the creations. 

Seeing her work seemed to make me feel temporarily better. If I could have a wish right this moment, I'd wish that I could shrink down a la Alice, and float through those beautiful wispy tunnels.

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