confluence, solo show, LeMieux Galleries, part 1

I am reposting this from the tumblr blog. Look for part 2 later this week.

A month ago, I installed work in my first solo show in New Orleans. Besides being a letterpress printer/designer, I make work that shows in galleries in the fine art world. Sometimes the images cross over into my letterpress work and sometimes the letterpress work crosses over into the fine art. It can be fun to see what happens. I often don’t see the obvious connection until after the work is hanging or installed. I very much buy into the idea of chance, the subconscious, and efficiency in art making. Not in that order and not always any of those things (especially efficiency). But you’ll often see paper cuts, printmaking, and also mixed media, thread, and powder coated, laser cut steel.

LeMieux Galleries is located on Julia St in New Orlean’s arts district. So here I will show a peek of the work and the process, from stuff strewn on the floor, the tedious nailing of 120 raindrops, and some things that make it to the wall. I apologize for the low res photos, better photos to come…

Thanks to Christy, for all leveling and gridding of all the raindrops.

raccoons up close….

at blackbird, we letterpress print and die cut these bear hug cards, so here’s a cross over of the bears in fine art land, here they are cut out of security envelopes with hand drawn faces, hugging various images.

almost there, with the big bear on the floor, not quite ready for install

stingrays, steel and paper

drawing in progress

other framed pieces, hand cut paper, sewing. Nutrias….

many pelicans….. can’t get them out of my head these days

As far as what this is all about… confluence is “a flowing or meeting together; a joining.” From the floor of the sea, up to the clouds, confluence comments visually on animal and human relationships: interaction/interference, their subtle links of life, the love, hate, and disregard of the other. Through the use of printmaking, paper cutting, and mixed media, the work reflects on the patterning of life, interdependence, autonomy, and the narrative between the two worlds.

The opening was Saturday March 12. The show runs until April 16. There’s more that isn’t shown here so come by and see! And thanks for looking…