MUSINGS: Process, Materials, and Inspiration
I first planned this blog to deal with a range of art topics and practices. Then the current state of affairs unfolded and so many more pressing issues came to the forefront. Issues like food insecurity, inequitable employment practices, the health safety net, the need for a reinvigorated science/medical sector with global cooperation and more. And as I sit in quarantine, I once again reflect on the intersection of my art practice with my social concerns, and have decided to focus this blog at this time on my behind the scenes process, including the global issues that often inform and inspire my work. I thought it might be of interest to send out periodic insights into work in progress as it bubbles up.
This post traces the origin and uses of the kimono shape as canvas/sculpture.
My working process has always involved collecting photographs of images (mountains, the ocean, walls, etc.) that can be translated by printing, collage and other techniques through paper. During the wars in the Middle East and the ensuing refugee crises, I began collecting photographs from the LA and NY Times because of their compelling human drama. They were far afield from the subjects of my past work.
I have also collected handmade and art papers just waiting for the right subject to animate them. In recent years, I have added single-use plastic to my paper collection out of a growing concern about pollution and the replacement of recyclable paper by plastic in our daily lives.
As I was trying to figure out how to incorporate these new elements into my work, I was in the midst of preparing to relinquish my collection of Japanese Kimono and Haori and they were being appraised as “vehicles” of fine art. Like the Kimono, which often depicts Japanese life and themes, my kimono, comprised of the photographs encased in plastic bags, became a shaped canvas for my imagery. See the whole series and how it fits in with the rest of my work in my publication: PAPER: Social Practice
PBK-II Crossings, 2015
Sacred Lands, 2017
As I presented this series, Plastic Bag Kimono at Fathom Gallery downtown, I produced a printed and hand finished multiple intended to raise funds for the Standing Rock Sioux who were fighting the intrusion of their lands by the Dakota Pipeline. Using Megan Louella Schoenbachler’s photographs, the inside and the outside of the kimono creates a dynamic juxtaposition.
I did apply some of my Ikebana Series imagery to actual wearable kimono-like garments, available for purchase.
Ikebana XXII-A
I still have many photographs I want to use and have been looking for other ways to present them. I purchased a collection of handmade papers from Hiromi Paper International that I want to respect in a work and not just cannibalize them as I do other papers. This is what I have been thinking about:
I will try to send out monthly updates of works and series as they evolve. Hopefully, I’ll have these 5 kimono to show you.
Also, I do have an Artist Website (SandyBleifer.com), where you can see a compendium of finished artwork throughout my long career.