Swash
The ever-growing artworks in Swash are a blend of representational and abstract images inspired by the organic and human-made debris deposited on beaches of the Pacific Northwest. The media used in these observational investigations includes acrylics, watercolor, Asian brush painting, pen and ink, a variety of pens and pencils, cut paper, rice paper, squid ink, and edible rice paper. The works range in size from 2000 one and a half inch square drawings of plankton in a floor installation to large watercolors of rocks as tall as 8 feet. This evolving and eclectic collection explores multiple facets of the swash zone with an emphasis on aesthetic interpretation and craftsmanship. The compositions are meant to strike a compelling balance between control and spontaneity, organic and geometric shapes, and western style combined with Asian style brushstrokes. Transforming a cluster of disparate, worthless objects into something that has some aesthetic value, offers a measure of balance and hope, in a world of human indulgence that is ultimately regulated by the indifferent power of nature.
The exhibition is divided in to multiple parts.
Poems From the Swash
These artworks are inspired by the random scatterings of sticks, stones, sea creature parts, bull kelp, and plastic bits found along the swash line of the beaches of the Pacific Northwest. While these compositions are meant to resonate purely on aesthetics, some images might also suggest narrative interpretations. A twisted ball of kelp might be seen as a metaphor for the hopelessly entangled predicaments in which we sometimes find ourselves, that needs to be patiently untangled. An empty frame shape surrounded by jumble of sticks might imply that something beautiful is still possible after a deluge, but it may require our participation.
The Vanishing
This collection of small works symbolize the effects of acidification on sea creatures that use calcium to build structure. This problem is impacting the oyster and shrimp fisheries as well as eroding the fragile coral reefs.
Plankton
Plankton are used in this installation as the subject matter to depict ocean acidification. The drawings of plankton come in two basic types, phytoplankton, plant-like organisms, and zooplankton, animal-like creatures. These microscopic organisms fill the oceans by the billions and surprisingly provide between 50-80% of the oxygen we breathe. Plankton is also the beginning of the marine food chain. Without them most aquatic species from barnacles to whales would go extinct.
Like the actual plankton that drift around the seas, these plankton drift around the gallery space reacting to currents generated by the movement of the human spectators. Their scale has been increased from microscopic to a more comfortable viewing size making the unseen visible. This work is meant to give people a more tangible experience with something microscopic that is so fundamental to the health of our planet, yet typically goes unnoticed or unconsidered.
Pacific Northwest Rock Formations
These large watercolor and ink paintings are experimentations with brushstrokes. In a gallery installation of Swash they provide context and help to punctuate the space. They range in size from 22" x 30" to 96" x 42".
Acrylic, Ink, on Rice Paper - mounted on canvas, 27" x 27"
Acrylic, Ink, on Rice Paper - mounted on canvas, 27" x 27"
Bullwhip Kelp
The bullwhip scattered across the beaches of the Pacific Northwest provide intriguing compositions of nonsensical calligraphy. However, it is easy to image that individual stalks of kelp have individual personalities that entangle each other in tongue-tied communication.
Sandcastles
Sandcastles are unstable and unsustainable by nature. They remind us of how fragile and temporary things are, but fortunately the infinite supply of sand affords endless attempts at creation.
These ink drawings use a similar movement used to create “drippy” castles in sand. Both require balancing a sensitive touch with decisive, continuous movement.
Piddock Clams
These mixed-media paintings interpret the the piddock clam, a creature that offers an interesting metaphor for the human condition. These clams drill into soft rock or mud as juveniles and spend the rest of their lives slowly grinding a bigger and deeper hole as they grow, making their escape impossible. The anterior ends of their shells are ridges covered with small grinding teeth that drill at about 4-5 mm/year.
Barnacles Studies
These observational studies explore shape, structure, and texture of common and gooseneck barnacles.
Anemones Studies
These studies are all versions of the same strand of anemones squeezed in to a crevasse. They are an exercise in exploring impulsive and controlled brushstrokes and marks.
Circling the Drain
These drawings are inspired by the growth rings associated with many organisms such as trees, coral, and shells. The spirals are also reminiscent of the extruded excrement of lugworms. Each of us leaves something behind, but how valuable that something might be can vary considerably.
The line drawings start on the outside and spiral inward to the drain with a single line that tracks a person’s life. The spacing between the lines, the quality of the line, and how the line ends all help to shape a narrative.
