THE SELFIE REVISITED

Dearest Readers,

Ecce Me…a lump of flesh inhabited by thinking and feeling.

I’m questioning my self-ness as usual.  I’ve been engaged for years in a gloved face-off  between my logical thoughts of self on the left hand, and feelings about who I might be on the right.

My website’s homepage presents a slow to frenetic spoken word piece, counting what’s going on in my head and my need to keep it all in control. (3min:30 sec)

So what about me? Where do I fit into this chaotic jumble of births/deaths/oceans and stars, called the universe?

(no answer yet from the cosmos, but plenty of certainties from other humans).

I continue to shove my feelings under the daily microscope of artistic investigation with the creation of Selfies

Day 74-Feeling Healthy-8x10 photo print 2009

 Portraits of Emotions, 

Day 74-Feeling Healthy-9x12, conte on bristol board 2014

 and intimate printed Quiltings of this face upon vintage family handkerchiefs.

Day 74-Feeling Healthy-laser print, embroidery, glass beads, cotton batting and quilting on vintage linen handkerchief-2013

In 2012 I harnessed my muscles  to dig a deep hole in my heartland of Vermont, four miles from the grave of Peter Fagan, my civil war ancestor. 

I climbed down, and climbed back out. It was a profound physical experience creating a capsule of emptiness, and descending inside to feel what it would be like.

 

I might start talking to trees. I found one nearby with nascent eyes, a black tongue deep inside, brushy lips and primitive teeth. Perhaps she might be coaxed into an interspecies conversation about who we think we are. More to come on this.

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PS:

I’m in the Selfie Show at Chastain Art Center Gallery in Atlanta, Georgia, curated by Karen Comer Lowe. The opening reception is tomorrow, Thursday, June 12^th 6:30-8:30pm. I hope you can make it. Other artists in the show are: Suellen Parker, Mario Petrirena, Matt Haffner, Devin Hamilton, Philip Carpenter, James Taylor, Karl Kroeppler, Meg Aubrey, and Tina Dunkley. The work looks great! Chastain is located in Chastain Park at 135 W. Wieuca Road in Atlanta. I’m exhibiting 18 of my latest quilted and embroidered self-portraits hankies.