In Between Final Days

Because I had to leave Iceland suddenly, I had to take down In Between at Wind and Weather Gallery a few days early. It took about three hours to disassemble, and just like that the show was over, which always feels strange. I'm so happy I had my near two months there, though. I am grateful for the opportunity and so pleased with the experience.

Thanks to Kathy Clark at Wind and Weather for inviting me to show this piece at the gallery. It was such a pleasure! 

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In Between Continues

Image taken by Andrzej Broda

In Between has been on view at Wind and Weather Gallery for just over a month now and will continue its run through February 26. I went to visit it for the first time since returning to Reykjavík the other day. It's always so nice to see work on display again. It's like see an old friend or something. 

In Between is included in the Reykjavík paper, Grapevine, which was so fun to discover. I knew it might happen but was pleasantly surprised upon finding it.

I'm also still collecting images of the piece taken by viewers, like the one pictured at the top taken by my friend, Andrzej Broda. I would like to get more, so again, if you happen to be in Reykjavík on holiday or live here, please do take a look and snap a quick photo. You can email it to me at atavern@gmail.com. The gallery is located at Hverfisgata 37, just past the corner of Klapparstígur.

Thanks for reading. 

In Between in Iceland

After a break, I am back... and now in Iceland! I arrived on December 30 at 6:45am, took a two-hour nap once I got to my friend's place, and then started installing "In Between" at Veður or Vindur, or Wind and Weather Gallery, in downtown Reykjavík. The gallery is a window gallery and the exhibitions are viewed from the sidewalk or street. The work is always on display so visitors can stop by anytime, day or night. I really love this about this unconventional space: the work is accessible to everyone, which feels important and exciting to me.

It took me three days to install with the help of a friend on one of those days. I had prepared some in my studio in the US which was very helpful, but deliberately chose to do just a little in advance. Even though I'm familiar with the gallery, I had no idea how "In Between" would work there. I think it's best to be as open as possible in situations like this and I wanted to allow the piece to take a new form in the new space. I'm so pleased with the new version and to be exhibiting at this gallery, and in Iceland! What a great way to start the New Year! "In Between" is on view through February 26. The gallery is located at Hverfisgata 37, 101 Reykjavík.

Please also visit Wind and Weather on Facebook, as well as its sister gallery, Better Weather.

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…With a Little Help

tying and trying and tying with Elle

I had not just a little help while I was in California, but a lot, and it's my pleasure to share this today. When I installed "I Live Here Now," Nikki Coupee, who works at the gallery, helped me all day. It was our first time meeting and I loved spending time with her.

getting helpful thoughts from Nikki while installing

 "I Live Here Now"

The 1000 bows that formed "Intuition" were made by my CCA students. I did make a bunch, but my lovely assistants did the majority of the work. I had a group of 13 people help me over the course of three days and they cut more than 400 pieces in the first day alone. It was fun to have them in my studio and gave me a chance to get to know them better. 

During the installation of "In Between" I had seven people helping me: some students and an instructor from CCA, a friend's daughter and gallery staff. They tied short lengths of monofilament to hundreds and hundreds of bows for hours. My friend, Elle, helped me on Friday and on Saturday, too. She stood on a ladder for hours and tied monofilament, she ran errands for me and gave me rides to and from the gallery. Her presence was a comfort.

And then there's my fabulous gallerist, Mike Holmes, who was a daredevil as he hung the first lengths of monofilament from the skylight. He helped me with the engineering and gave me many words of encouragement, along with keeping me fed and caffeinated. Most importantly, though, he gave me a chance by offering the VdaV elevator for this piece.

Finally, there was this one moment in particular on the first day of the "In Between" install in which I was tying monofilament and thinking about my helpers that day, and those at school. They were working so hard and they were helping ME. I was humbled and amazed and it brought tears to my eyes. These wonderful people assisted with the labor, but the true help was their interest, enthusiasm and faith in me. Their support was priceless. It gave me confidence and energy, while also helping me relax and stay focused. There is no way I could have done what I did without them. I am grateful to each and every one of them:

Devon Matlock, Trevi Pendro, Katie Edgerton, Briatta Bell,
Martina Miguens, Marilyn da Silva, Irene Huh, Enya Chuang,
Sheri Novak, Alice Son, Curtis Arima, Zeeta Yang, Winston Wang, 

Jo-Ann Donivan, Stella Barackov, Elle Sharifpour

and the wonderful staff at Velvet da Vinci:

Diane Komater, Sienna Freeman, Nikki Coupee and Mike Holmes

Thank you.

Trevi, Katie and Devon, my first helpers

Irene and Enya, day two

 Curtis, Winston, Alice and Enya on day three

selfie with Elle 

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Evidence

evidence of process: the lemon I peeled for "Smell,"printed thoughts and research, amethyst beads I didn't use

Process is very important to me and I do love documenting it. However, time during my residency was limited and I did not really use any of it to stop for photos. There are a few, though, and I'm grateful that I have them. I spent three weeks at CCA, arriving each morning between 9:30 and 10. During the first week, I developed my ideas through reading, thinking, writing and sketching. I also visited the gallery to spend time in the elevator to understand the space directly, both physically and mentally. By the end of the week, I had formed a more concrete idea and plan. During the second week, I started to collect the various found objects and I made nine chains. I also started to make the all-metal pieces, like the ear trumpet for "Hearing." Then, in the final week, the bows were made, the metalwork was completed and the necklaces were put together. The whole process was a mixture of constant planning and just allowing the piece to unfold. I was keenly aware of time but tried to hold it loosely. Thinking back, it's interesting to me that the creation of the work itself was mirroring the finished piece: that balance of cognition and intuition that I presented with a collection of tools and 1000 paper bows. 

morning light on my first day

some books I used for research and reference

I tried things that didn't work out…

I spent hours making hundreds of jump rings

The day before I finished the work, I cleaned up my space and arranged the pieces both finished and still in-progress on my table so I could walk into an orderly studio and look with fresh eyes the next day.

my bench at the end of my residency

paper remnants from 1000 bows

See more pictures of process on Flickr.

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I Live Here Now, in a Garage

I exhibited I Live Here Now in the garage at Velvet da Vinci, not a usual space for a show at the gallery. I'm the first person to have work there, as well as the first person to create a piece specifically for the elevator. The garage at Velvet is a fantastic space and is loaded with potential. It has a tiled, concrete floor, particle board walls and fluorescent lights. It's also full of what I consider to be beautiful details, like peeling paint, exposed cables and unfinished spackling. The dual light sources also add to the beauty of the space, a mix of brassy, man-made light and translucent glowing from the frosted panes of the garage door. Together, the textures, patinas, layered light, muted colors and rough edges were a perfect compliment to my work, and vice-versa. The space and the jewelry worked together in a natural and dynamic way.

I spent a day setting up the show and took my time to consider where each piece would look best. It was a fairly simple process because it was the third time installing this exhibition and also because the space was so inspiring to work with.

 

See more pics on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

Intuition

Choices are made with a combination of cognition and intuition. In addition to my "Tools for Making Decisions," "In Between" includes 1000 paper bows which represent accumulated experience and memory, or the basis of intuition. When I was considering this aspect of the piece, my first thought was to make the bows in metal and maybe paint them white, but after talking with my students and Curtis Arima, one of the instructors at CCA, I realized metal was not appropriate. Curtis asked me "Why metal?" and I answered by saying I felt "obligated," and I knew right away, that obligation was not a good enough reason. Instead, paper was the right choice, a light-weight, ephemeral material. I used large Canson sheets in white with a bit of body to them and cut a few bows in different sizes until I found a size that felt right. I picked monofilament to hang them from and suspended long lengths from the skylight in the elevator. I left the ends of the monofilament uncut and tied the bows closer together as I reached the bottom.

It took two days to hang the bows, and at the end of the first day, I found myself delightfully surprised by what was happening as the bows moved and interacted with light from above. There was an unexpected gray-scale and a graphic quality, while the monofilament added extra visual detail and subtle light effects. The changes in light from day to night were also interesting to observe. I chose to pile several hundred bows on the floor of the elevator, as well, and hung a few pieces underneath the table itself, all to add to the feeling of accumulation. I wanted my memories, my intuition, to hover and surround the cognitive tools arranged on the table.

Thanks for reading.

Tools for Making Decisions

Tools for Making Decisions

When I was considering choice, I asked myself, as well as my friends on Facebook, what kind of tools help us make decisions. I brainstormed my own list and considered the opinion of scores of friends who responded. What I noticed was the underlying presence of the senses in both my ideas and my friends' so I began reading about the traditional and combined senses. I realized our senses are the most basic tools we have to observe and perceive our world and to make choices every day. I thought of a tool for each sense, choosing objects with layers of meaning, and forming a group that allows information to be studied and measured. In addition, I deliberately chose to focus on my love of collecting, searching the Bay Area and Etsy for just the right level or leather gloves, for example. Finally, I carefully arranged these nine necklaces for the installation, placing them atop a table, ready for use, as intuition hovers above and gathers below. 

Sight, brass, vintage bi-focal lens

Hearing, brass

Touch, vintage leather gloves

Taste, brass

Smell, brass, glass test tubes, cork, ground garlic, dried blueberries, lemon rind, lavender, vanilla bean, mint, dirt and rotting leaves, Comet cleanser, popcorn, oak tree bark

Temperature, vintage water thermometer

Kinesthetics, brass, antique dividers

Balance, brass, vintage level

Pain, brass, Dolorimeter

See more pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.

In Between

In Between is my first site-specific, mixed-media installation and it stuns me every time I look at pictures of it or even think about it. I remember standing in disbelief under all those bows when the installation was complete... I stared up and around and thought to myself, "I made this. I can't believe I made this."

The three week journey to get there was challenging and scary and wonderful. When I began my residency at CCA the only ideas I had for the piece focused on transition, a place I'm very familiar with. Through research, serious thinking and drawing I expanded from transition to how we make decisions to the idea of choice. I read about cognition and intuition and the senses, all things that help us make decisions. I combined these ideas with thoughts of place and created nine necklaces and 1000 paper bows. The necklaces include made, found, and altered objects that serve as tools to aid in the cognitive aspects of decision making. The paper bows, suspended from the ceiling and piled on the floor, represent experience and memories, the components of intuition. I also relied on the use of multiples, and accumulation, collecting and arranging.

And while I was making In Between, I juggled a long commute, lectures and crits, and being social as much as I could. Doubt and insecurity were present, alongside excitement and anticipation, and I had this feeling of wanting to do everything as the piece unfolded in a beautiful way. It was an intense and unforgettable time.

See more pictures on Flickr.

Thanks for reading.