Bound For Decay detail
I sooo love the Disintegration Project hosted by Seth Apter at The Altered Page that even though I’m waaaay behind with so many things after being sick for over six weeks I was compelled to make something for this. I could NOT stop thinking about it so it just had to be done.
Bound For Decay detail
This is a rather different art project as the collaborator is Mother Nature herself. Sometimes I get a bit grumbly about living in a rain forest environment even though I do adore winter storms pummeling the coast and curling up on a gray winter day with some hot tea (or a complex red wine!!!), the pups and Charley to watch a movie or read a good book. It’s just that it can get ever so old when there is relentless rain for months on end.
But today I’m so happy for the rain because I’m putting materials in that will react quite quickly with the wet environment. I cast a goddess of unfired porcelain clay which I merely baked in my craft oven rather than firing in a kiln. I want to see if she will hold together or not. Her face wasn’t working out so well so I made that out of a new paper clay from Japan. I’ve been experimenting with it this week and I really love it!!! I’ll be using for the first time in this workshop at Art & Soul in Hampton, Virginia.
Bound For Decay main
This project differs from others I’ve done because I strive to make things to have structural integrity and to last. Perhaps you can tell by the looks of this that the fleeting lifetime of all things was very much on my mind. She didn’t even start out in one piece! It is very freeing to let go knowing that weakness in construction may turn into beauty when left to the elements unprotected.
Uncoated steel wire was used to bind the paper layers together. Rust is inevitable and I think will add so much character to the final piece . . . assuming of course that there is anything recognizable left of it. Most of the paper used was sewing pattern tissue paper– it is quite thin of course so who knows if the layer of paint over this paper will keep it together. I fashioned the wire into a cross shape and bound the goddess with thread that is quite taut to hold at least most of her parts in place. Do you think the one arm that isn’t anchored down with the thread will still be there on May 1 when the project wraps up?
It seems to look as though it is bonding with the tree already. Is it just me or does it look like it belongs there?
I think this was an absolutely brilliant idea so hats off to Seth for such an inspirational venture. I’m very grateful to have listened to my inner child and let her loose to play with this. Thanks, Seth, for continuing to be a great inspiration!!!
Seth said,
March 20, 2009 at 1:41 am
Brilliant bunde Kerin. And what a gorgeous tree and landscape in the background. I am so thrilled that you decided to join this project. Cannot wait to see your bundle on May 1!
remnants said,
March 20, 2009 at 2:17 am
Thanks a kazillion Seth! That is actually our back yard. I don’t know if you can see the river down below but it is the Coquille River that flows to the Pacific at Bandon, Oregon. It’s a tidal river so it flows backwards past our house when the tide comes in. It looks funny to see it going backwards like that. : )
We’ll have to take the image one day early as we’ll be flying to Hampton Virginia on May 1 to teach at the Art & Soul retreat there. But I can’t wait to see it either! I’ll schedule it to post on my blog May 1st with everyone else.
Beverly Gilbert said,
March 20, 2009 at 2:08 am
Looks so cool! Can’t wait to see the final project. And the complex red wine on a stormy day with a good book sounds perfect.
remnants said,
March 20, 2009 at 2:20 am
Thanks Beverly! Wow you are so fast in commenting I just posted this like 3 nanoseconds ago!!! So glad you stopped by and I hope you will come back to see it at the end. I hope it to be dripping with rust. ; )
sue said,
March 20, 2009 at 2:28 am
Wow, what a fabulous and fun project! It will be so interesting to observe the progression of deterioration
on this. I’m so curious as to what the goddess bunde will look like on May 1!
So glad that you are starting to feel back to your normal
healthy self!
remnants said,
March 20, 2009 at 2:39 am
Hi Sue!!!
Yes definitely this is such a fabulous project. If you haven’t seen Seth’s blog yet I think you will be blown away by all the cool things he does. It is one of my favorite places to visit!
I’m so relieved to be “back”. Thanks much!!!
I am working on the post for the blog award you are giving me by the way. I really appreciate that!!!
xxx
Kerin
Gaby Bee said,
March 23, 2009 at 8:08 am
Indeed it’s a gorgeous project! Your piece looks really terrific. Can’t wait to see your bundle on may
Gaby xo
The Altered Pages’ Disintegration Collaboration « Altered Bits’ Altered Blog said,
March 30, 2009 at 12:41 am
[...] can also see Kerin’s amazingly beautiful contribution on her blog post: Designing for Decay. Possibly related posts: (automatically generated)Got Facebook?digi-scrapping my Project 365Photos [...]
Laura Pace said,
March 31, 2009 at 10:41 pm
This bundle of yours is grand! Great location too.
I didn’t know you could fire porcelain clay in just a regular oven. I take it that’s what you mean by craft oven? The small ovens we keep in our studio? If so that’s interesting.
remnants said,
April 8, 2009 at 4:13 pm
Hi Laura!
Thank you very much!
Sorry it took a while to answer your question. What I meant by craft oven is just a dedicated toaster oven that is used only for art materials and that I don’t prepare food in.
You can’t actually fire porcelain clay in a regular oven. What you can do with the clay in such an oven is bring the porcelain clay to “leather hard” stage much faster which I needed to do since I made this in just one day. It just needed to be to the point where it would hold its shape at least temporarily. I didn’t want the clay fired because I wanted it to react with the elements. A fired piece would probably look nearly the same after the project was over.
Hope that all makes sense!
Corrine said,
April 1, 2009 at 6:25 am
Fantastic bundle, I love the goddess! and I think she will age beautifully.
remnants said,
April 8, 2009 at 4:05 pm
Hi Corrine!
Thanks so much and I thank you for taking the time to comment. I have been pouring over your blog entries and loving everything I see. It looks like you live in a most magical place.
rachel whetzel said,
April 12, 2009 at 9:41 pm
I plan to join in LATE with my boys!! I think they will LOVE this idea!!