A "Homely" Object

For the spring session of my collage class we were instructed to choose a "homely" or common object to be used for the full 10 weeks but treated differently each time.  I decided to choose keys.  Week 1 was to create a narrative telling a story in collage.  An iconic image that is quickly recognizable  "The Peaceable Kingdom" was one I decided to alter into "Keys to the Peaceable Kingdom."  I photocopied several keys, added an arm and a figure of a man dressed in an old-fashioned suit.  I also added an ornate frame.  And here is the result:

The "Hatchlings" Series

A while ago I completed an assemblage using a small unfinished wooden box, paint, collage papers, and plastic babies to create a piece I called "Hatchlings."  I felt it was one of my more successful pieces and soon sold it.  I then decided that this concept could be part of a series.  With that in mind I just finished a new one called "Medieval Hatchlings."  Both are pictured below.  In the first piece, I filled the box with straw and rested clay eggs on the surface.  The second box is filled with a fabric pillow that I pieced together and rested clay eggs on the top of it.

I wanted to mention a small but fascinating exhibit I recently saw at the Metropolitan Museum of Art www.metmuseum.org.  It is the sculpures of a Cambodian artist by the name of Sopheap Pich.  Using indigenous materials he creates beautiful forms that are technically and esthetically most impressive.  An example of one of them is pictured below.  Along with his pieces is a fascinating video depicting the process.

Cambodian Rattan

The Sculptures of Sopheap Pich

February 23–July 7, 2013

Galleries 209, 249 & 251

"This exhibition presents ten works by the contemporary Cambodian artist Sopheap Pich (born 1971), who lives and works in Phnom Penh. Pich works principally in rattan and bamboo, constructing organic open-weave forms that are solid and ethereal, representational and abstract. Much of his work is inspired by elements of the human anatomy or plant life. His constructions combine his training as a painter with the spatial conceptualization of a sculptor, creating three-dimensional objects that are largely defined by their graphic character. Pich's art consciously embodies his memories of culture and place. The exhibition is installed in three spaces in the Asian galleries, including an integration into historical displays, and is part of the Museum's contribution to the New York–wideSeason of Cambodia."