Duality

du·al·i·ty

d(y)o͞oˈalədē/

noun

noun: duality; plural noun: dualities

1. 1.

   the quality or condition of being dual.

   
   

   "the novel's deep duality about human motive"

   • MATHEMATICS

     the property of two theorems, expressions, etc., being dual to each other.
   • PHYSICS

     the quantum-mechanical property of being regardable as both a wave and a particle.
2. 2.

   an instance of opposition or contrast between two concepts or two aspects of something; a dualism.

   
   

   "the photographs capitalize on the dualities of light and dark, stillness and movement"

Origin

late Middle English: from late Latin dualitas, from dualis (see dual).

Among the ideas that Kim Matthews and I have been working with is DUALITY.  Obviously, there can be a series of plays on words, taking us off into commentaries on human nature, spirituality and vice.  But we discovered, with the amazement that only non-math-nerds can muster, that if you place a dot in the center of each plane of a regular polyhedron, you will define another shape within.  Too Cool!

PLATONIC DUALITY, opening Friday, May 11, 6-9pm, Gallery5004, Robbinsdale, MN

IN THE WINDOWS: Patricia Bronstein and Susan Huhn-Bowles

Patricia Bronstein, November 2016

Though a coincidence, these collages are being shown at a time where I hope they will give some joy and humor, and provide some relief to those (including me) who need it.

This country has suffered a devastating setback.  What do we tell ourselves about our country?  Many are struggling about what to tell our children? 

I’ve always liked collage because it allows you to say anything by juxtaposing images.  Look closely at these works.  I think they are sweet and funny.  I hope these make you happier because as Bette Davis in All About Eve, “fasten your seat belts, we’re in for a bumpy ride.”  She really says “fasten your seatbelts, we’re in for a bumpy night.” This is a film from1950.  Either quote, the only car model that had seatbelts at that time was a Nash.  Congress did not mandate them until 1959. 

Learn more about Patricia Bronstein

The Spirit House, Altar and Tree of Faith

by

Susan Huhn-Bowles

The Spirit House, Altar and Tree of Faith is the representation of my hope for unity and peace.

As humans we are all physical and spiritual beings.  Our religions and beliefs guide and sustain us.  However, they can also divide us and distort our social behavior. We can be born into specific belief systems based on our parent's beliefs and cultures.  We also have the right and obligation to ourselves to search our hearts, listen to our soul's voice and find what the most sustaining beliefs for ourselves.

This also means not being judgmental, demeaning or hateful to those of differing faith.

This is my prayer.

Learn more about Susan Huhn-Bowles 

TIMELINES and DUE DATES

Setting timelines and dues dates from internal cues is today's topic.  It is hard enough to pay attention to the external cues: Grant due dates; school assignments; application dates.  Lots of people have a hard time completing things well and on time.

Even harder is setting your own dues dates. SO here are some dates I am setting for myself...which I am already questioning. Feel free to hold me accountable!


7/8/16 send in Chenven grant application I did this yesterday!

7/15/16 Identify 5 university galleries accepting proposals I sent one yesterday!

8/1/16 send a direct fundraising letter for completion of (Her)Suit.  I think I can do this.

(Her)Suit getting photographed

8/1/16 send gallery/museum proposals(as appropriate) or introduction to my work.
Don't know about this one.  Might not be ready, even though summer is the best time to send. I am not finding the right fit.  So, while not giving up on this one, it is back to the drawing board as far as timing goes. More research is needed.

9/1/16 secure temporary space to hang (Her)Suit and document it.
           look on Craigslist
           ask for referrals on social media forums
           line up photographers, videographers

9/30/16 Be ready to run a crowdfunding campaign on Hatchfund or Indegogo to upgrade studio equipment. I think I can do this.

Eros and Thanatos

10/31/16 Complete Eros and Thanatos 
I have to do this.  I was thinking of balling it up and throwing it out, but I got a solo show for it and other parts of the body of work for March 2017.

• 
  

While getting ready for more renovation...

I have unearthed many partially finished bodies of work that need re-consideration and work.  Here is the HAIRSUIT series, re- worked, remounted and, perhaps a few of them are done.

petticoats,underskirts and anemones

While soaking up the Christmas season, I spun many more anemones. They are building up the reef under the sea dress. Petticoats and underskirts are appearing...unbleached muslin cheesecloth is experimentally draped in the openings. I think, when more energy returns, more lights will appear as well. It is always slow going in "intuitive land", where language has little to add to the equations. It is all about materials and light and growth.

White Dresses

White dresses have been a staple in my repertoire for years. I don't really know why. Clearly they have deep meaning for me...I suspect they represent a certain nostalgia for a time that is not my own...a fictive story of naivete and innocence. I am working on a very large scale installation that involves a white dress.

In times past, the dresses I have used have been found garments, antique wedding night nightgowns, baptismal gowns, simple cotton slips. This time, I will be building the dress. These drawings help me to understand the character in/of the dress more. I am always working within a narrative, searching for the meaning the components wish to impart. It is like searching for a lost love, detecting the whisper of a long dead parent or the mystery in the attic. I follow the clues. The dress, this time, is telling a resurrection story, a hopeful story of rebirth...I think. It may ultimately tell me otherwise.

The bodice of this dress is crocheted, with uplifting 3/4 length sleeves, much too small for you or I. It will hang far over my head, and yards and yards and yards of muslin skirt will take over the room.

Tech notes: these drawings are on UV Ultra tracing vellum. The design was painted on the reverse with gesso. Then I drew on the front with compressed charcoal. the separation of the gesso from the charcoal layer effected by the robust vellum encourages a luminous 3-dimensionality.

5 pillows, # 6 is in process

I am pleased with the development. The studio has been full of energy since the Surface Design Association conference....and the realization that soon I will have more uninterrupted time in the studio! AH, Joy! These pillows are part of an installation that I am working on. They will be stained, distressed, and generally treated harshly until they have an aged patina sufficient to hold their stories. Stay tuned!

Progress on the pillow portraits/fabric collage

I have taken these apart numerous times. I think the top one is about ready to be backed and stuffed. I want to stain it as well...but that is flat out terrifying! This pillow....I think I need to remove the circular poofs! I am pleased with the piping, though! And I like the circle within the square.

It is so slow! and uses so much thread ! What you see on the second pillow is over 4 hours of sewing, starting with the circular cut out, some of it just waiting to be taken out.

A sabbatical nears its end...

At the core of COLOR OF CONFLICT, at the heart, at the start:

COLOR OF CONFLICT

a collaboration between Susan Hensel and John Hensel

In this year of sabbatical, as I have wandered seemingly aimlessly at times, old themes emerged as they always do. Themes of nostalgia and aging as seen in the series of assemblages with the antique clothing et al. And now, the anti-war themes emerge as well, carried by yarn.

COLOR OF CONFLICT, now on exhibit at Susan Hensel Gallery

reception: DECEMBER 17, 7-10pm.

Art Happens

It's not done yet, but Army Collar, started before Australia, has resumed. Paper, cloth, pastel, graphite, and army men.

Transgressive wool

In the art world, one talks about transgression. Transgression can be loosely defined as breaking expected boundaries or expectations. Yarn is expected to be soft, warm, useful, at times even life saving. It is often associated with leisure, craft and women's work. Rarely is it thought of as an object, a material or a subject of fine art. So, as I progress on this project, I have to consider how this potential body of work transgresses expectations.

This yarn is transgressive because:

• It is not made for the express purpose of knitting or looping in someway into a useful object.

• Its purpose to to be a sculptural object or a field for narrative/political photography.

• It paradoxically uses its traditional softness to express a hard/harsh/violent reality

• It uses its allusions to its life saving properties( warmth, padding, protecting) as a field of discussion about war and death

• It uses a "women's art" to discuss a "man's pursuit."

Can Yarn Function as Sculpture?

This yarn, COMBAT CHAOS, begins to achieve what I set out to do. Combining specially chosen colors and fibers to express the emotional turmoil of the battlefield, little army guys are pinioned in beehives, cocoons of black wool, felted camouflage felt flags, mounds of netting and desert camo. Both sides of the conflict climb around and shoot in the confusion. Small flashes of light, tiny sequins, reflect the flash of the guns or the twinkle in a mute night sky.

3-d suits?

Work this week was slow and perhaps minor. I roled up the most recent phoenix/suit. That took a full hour to unstaple, untape and roll safely. Then I began the experiment of taking a suit jacket, painting on it and stiffening it with Golden GAC 400 so it can hang on the wall. So, you see the beginning. Initially I stapled the sleeves out of the way for convenience. Now I think that forming a daisy chain of rigid suit coats crusted with paint and chalk might be very cool. Stay tuned. I work on these things on Thursdays in the Northrup King Building studio. As it happened, this was First Thursday open studio night and the night of the vice presidential debate. Not too many people attended . They were all at home watching the spectacle. We were watching the spectacle on our imported TV .