Thursday, July 22, 2010

"Traveling Museum"


 
"Traveling Museum" . . . . . this is an 'ode' to Joseph Cornell
   This assemblage is very kool!  The wooden box is small 6" x 6" x 5". The outside is covered in vintage maps taken from a 1921 encyclopedia Britannica.  The brass feet are vintage toilet seat hinges, and the embellishment on top is a brass drawer pull.
    On the inside are 9 small bottles filled with things collected from my travels. . .  black sand from Hawaii, beads from South Africa, sea shells from Mexico, tempered glass from a broken window in Paris, white sand from Malibu . . .  you see where I am going with this.  Very fun and interactive.

Friday, July 9, 2010

"Las Canicas de Dios" (God's Marbles)



"Las Canicas de Dios" (God's Marbles)  All the roadsigns are there, the trappings, the rules.  We can choose to obey the rules or we can find our own way. Who's watching?
    This mahogany box is embellished with a vintage brass door plate and a doll's eye . Vintage papers cover the inside. Juxtaposed on an iron stand, Jesus wearing the 'key', looks longingly towards his guitar. On the other side, is 1/2 of a vintage clock face and a glass enclosed coca-cola box handle with three red marbles that move back and forth. The vintage compass is continually pulled by a magnet attached to the top knob. (click on image to enlarge)

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

"Snake" (by d.h. lawrence)


"Snake by D.H. Lawrence"

In high-school, one of my favorite poets was D.H. Lawrence. And one of my favorite Lawrence poems was SNAKE. (http://homepages.wmich.edu/~cooneys/poems/dhl.snake.html)   I memorized every word. And even now, years later, it's verses still run through my head. This piece quotes the first 7 lines of this famous poem, written in scrabble pieces. This assemblage is constructed from a piece of wood, that in a former life was a kitchen cabinet from the 1930's. It measures 16"x14".  I framed the piece in vintage yard sticks, and it finished it off with a lovely brown snake that is attached in such a way that allows both the head and the tail to move when touched.  (click on image for a closer look)  IN PRIVATE COLLECTION