Typographies and Topographies

Two years ago exactly my collaborator Christina Gregor and I were putting together this epic installation called, "i'm thinking of changing my smile," covering half of the 2nd and 3rd floors of the Civil War era Dole Mansion in Crystal Lake, IL. 

Amongst many things, this exhibition has typography, topography (the landscape of a fantastic domestic space), and way-finding.

Typography. Seen below is the entry signage for the exhibition. As you pass between two curtains you walk below this free-hand machine-stitched (on muslin) fabric sign.  Very little planning, other than scale went into the free-form stitching. Loose threads, re-run sticthes, pseudo-ligatures, serifs and san serif fonts abound.

As for way-finding, even the map that we used to guide the audience around the installation appears to not take itself-seriously. How will wings feel against my face?

"i'm thinking of changing my smile" is about being comfortable in your own skin, in your own nest. If anything, as the work progressed into the installation it took on a life of its own as its creators' own abilities to differentiate between life and art or between a real-live domestic space and the illusion of an invented domestic space blurred the lines of dream, image, and reality.

Somehow we were left with images and the suggestion of images, objects and the suggestions of objects. The topography of the landscape was fantasy-filled and yet frighteningly real as we (the artists) pretended that we were not taking serious the very thing that had become poignant and real.

View in Mr. Dole's Billiard Room.

June 2011 Collaborative Installation

Greetings! The first half of 2011 has been completely absorbed by "i'm thinking of changing my smile,"
 a collaborative installation with Christina Gregor at the Dole Mansion and Lakeside Legacy Arts Park in Crystal Lake, IL. Our blog can be viewed at: http://collaborateeccg.blogspot.com/

This installation is significant for its size (5 rooms and a large stairwell of an opulent 1860's mansion). The house was built by Charles Dole as an opulent summer home and is currently in great disrepair. As part of an experiment, Christina and I were invited to do a mixed-media installation that dialogues with the age and history of the mansion. And that is exactly what we did. More to come on our other blog.

September--Back to School

This summer began really slow and quickly gained momentum. Over the month of August I had a birthday, my husband completed and passed his PhD exams and is on his way towards dissertating, my family had a weekend where we celebrated my father's 60th birthday, and school started.

After a hiatus from teaching I am at Mchenry County College teaching some very cool students and working with some extremely fun and knowledgeable faculty and staff. So life is good and I am gearing up for two upcoming exhibitions this fall. I am doing a performance art exhibition with my collaborator Bianca called the Merkeyna Coif Boutique--more to come of that later--at the Ravenswood Art Walk in the Ravenswood corridor in Chicago, the first weekend of October. I am also doing an exhibition of work at the Bethel College art gallery in Newton, KS in November. So I am quite busy to say the least.

It is my goal to keep up with my etsy shop--notice that I have added some really cool new vintage items!