part five :: the show

currently west :: poster

i'm not sure when i became a once a week blogger, but... seems like it's all i can manage these days. i feel like i have lot more to share - hmmm - hopefully next week will prove more possible.

so.... the show the show - the reason for my going to japan. 2 weeks of work [thank god we had help! i've never had/allowed someone to help me as much as i did for this show and let me tell you - a girl could get used to it]. all of the work [and i'm sorry i don't have pics of the other artist's work organized yet - i'll add them to my website in an installation section as soon as i can] in the show was labor intensive. what i was acutely aware of was how i was working on these projects that were to occupy a significant amount of space [several feet!] but i had to actually build and put them together in tiny little sections. one small action at a time. pin, repeat, paint, repeat [of course repeat ended up being a big theme for the whole trip, but i didn't know it yet].

me installing the tanks

the other thing that really sunk in this time was how intimate and also disconnected this process can be. countless hours spent literally 2 inches from a wall. occasionally bored to tears.... singing along with music... swapping stories with my helper.... and then - oh my god we're done. and then... oh my god i made that? the inevitable question - how did you do that? how does it feel to do that.... flustering in my answer - i'm not really sure. you just do it. and really i kind of forget the actual making part of it [otherwise i might never do it again].

synchrotanks :: argyle :: full shot

the tank installation complete. remember when i was pondering color combos? it was for this. this is the second tank install i've done. the first time i did an argyle pattern [other time was plaid].

from below

this is why this museum was so cool. shot from below. a little peek. sigh.

detail of marching tanks

detail

in the paper

the tanks made it into the paper :) !

downstairs [thankfully far away from the tanks] i did a doily installation. the space was just so inspiring. for the first time i thought about having the piece "start" somewhere and sort of disperse. so i started in the corner. i thought about snow falling [there was still snow on the mountains that were in sight of the museum]. i also had a glass case to work with. granted normally people put things IN the case - but i had been wanting to work with glass/reflections and the doilies for quite some time and this was my chance. the shadows that ended up IN the case were beyond what i could have hoped for. these pieces are ridiculously stupid to try and photograph, so... well.... i have to let that go.

lily pond :: the whole thing

one story about this piece. while i was working on it.... staring at walls. futzing with the minute alterations in the placement of each doily the curator of the show came down and stood next to me. he turned to me and he said. this is so japanese. you are so japanese. the space here. the space is just as important as the objects themselves. [this was of course 1/2 understood by me and 1/2 translated to me - i didn't know the word for space]. i literally just stopped and smiled at him. i felt as though that was the biggest compliment someone could have given me. space is something that is so hard to talk about. and he just got it. the negative space.

lily pond :: right side

the right side - the way the walls interacted was just fantastic.

lily pond :: corner

of course i did the corner wrap around thing

lily pond :: the corner

this is the "start". i also really overlapped the doilies this time.... think i might have to try that again....

lily pond :: mass in the corner

detail of the mass

lily pond :: on glass

the glass

lily pond :: me painting on glass

me painting on the glass

students

here we are talking to hipster architecture students from tokyo :D

ok friends. i have to get to the studio. i have to try and finish a piece for my show announcement.... oh and make the work for that show. ha ha. [show at little bird gallery in october]

i also posted on ship today.

AND.... caterine has set up a very cool muslin tote swap . go sign up if you are so inclined!

have a great weekend!

Comments

Anonymous said…
Like I said on your Flickr account... I have only expletives to describe how moth@rf&%$^ing exceptional I think both of these installations are.

The doilies are just dreamy... so sensual.. like jellyfish.
Camilla Engman said…
Lisa, this is so great! The tanks and tank pattern, the delicat doilies and the shadows.
wendy said…
can't wait to see one of these installations in person! this is so fantastic.
you are amazing!!
eshu said…
you are unbelievable, i'm blown away... speechless
these are just phenomenal. you are amazing.
bugheart said…
yes yes
just amazing...
especially how
both your pieces
don't just
work in the space,
they echo the space...
wow.
so very
japanese!
xoxox
Anonymous said…
i would love to know more about the piece, what motivated your pattern, the tanks, everything! it's really neat that you went to japan for this and your shots on flickr are really beautiful lisa. :)
Jan Halvarson said…
i think my questions were premature on flickr, but my comments were and are the same. wow and magical! i love the shadows from your doilies, and i'm sure in person in would be so stunning. and that argyle pattern (which i've never seen before) is stunning. love this lisa!
shari said…
you've blown my mind lisa. i am sitting here with my head in the clouds thinking about the beautiful beautiful installations. bravo for an excellent show! xox ps: loved your ship post too. happy weekend!!
Anonymous said…
Wow. Just wow.
Blair said…
as if it were possible for you to impress me more, this whole story and the installation just blows.me.away. It is more than amazing, I am just in love with both areas, and they are both so very different. Thank you for taking us on this journey with you. I have looked for a few moments for over a week to sit down and really take in your Japan photos, I don't want to miss any of it!
Anonymous said…
Lisa,
You are amazing! Your work is so beautiful! I love how both pieces use the space so brilliantly. How did you ever figure it out and then package the whole thing? Your weekly post have been so lovely and rich that I don't mind at all.
Take care.
Anonymous said…
The tanks on the wall look absolutely amazing, it must have taken a long time to put up (ditto on Jenny's comment). Love your doily installation, the first thing I thought when I saw the pictures was 'so japanese', then nod in agreement to the comment given -remember when you mentioned that Japanese aesthetic influenced your art?
Anonymous said…
The installation is SO amazing. I cannot even imagine how powerful it must be to see this all in person. So, so proud of you!!
Anonymous said…
I agree with everyone, this is amazing!
mati rose said…
it looks incredible! what an accomplishment lisa! kudos to you.
xoxo
Anonymous said…
Hi Lisa,
Your work looks fantastic! It's so exciting to see your photos, I've thoroughly enjoyed your whole Japanese adverture.
Oh and what a huge installation effort on your part. Isn't it funny how you seem to forget how much time and effort installing work takes each exhibition and only get more ambitious with subsequent exhibitions.
xo lj
ps. Welcome to the I blog once a week (but wish I could more) club.
Anonymous said…
Wonderful, Lisa, really wonderful. And such a huge space to navigate and deal with. It looks brilliant, and so worth every bit of your hard work and preparation. I loved reading this post of yours earlier in the week... I'm so blue without time to blog, both reading other folks posts and conjuring up my own.
see you, g xo
(P.S. Did I mention already... LOVE IT!)
hannah said…
so good lisa. i wish i could see it in person! big hugs for all that hard work!
wow lisa! i'm in awe! I don't suppose you will ever do anything in the uk will you!? I'd love to see your stuff live! Amazing...x
Anonymous said…
holy cow. Lisa, your work is truly amazing.
comfies said…
your work is so beautiful! i am in love with it all! it creates a lovely, peaceful feeling to me..
paula said…
this is so fantastic Lisa. to see part of the process of putting up an installation and your thoughts.
I love the doilies and the shadows on the glass. and my favourite image is the one with you painting them on glass.
comfies said…
wait, i'm a little slow, is this wonderful show in japan then? somewhere i could actually go see it in person right now?? i didn't see a link to the gallery in the posting, but maybe i'm just massively jetlagged..
Anonymous said…
lisa s. rules the world!
lisa solomon said…
i am beyond touched and honored by your responses. wow.

for those of you asking for more info about the tank piece [and thanks to jenny for asking and forcing me to formulate the words]

OK – initially the tanks started as my way of thinking about masculine and feminine. How to make something so male into something more female. Hence the felt, the bright colors and the pattern. But then of course there are more layers. I hate tanks – I hate war – both are scary. So what better way to subvert them than this way? Cute felt, non-dangerous tanks – marching in a pretty and garish way instead of a harmful one. And then as we in this country have continued to be involved in a hideous war the thoughts continue with patterns repeating themselves – the ENDLESS nature of war and marching – not asking questions and simply following the designated pattern.

it's also about visual play – how do we read patterns? What happens if something small makes up a larger pattern? Where does the recognition shift/change. When is it a tank? When is it argyle [argyle has it's on manly implications that I'm subverting too].

and I think it's funny to have a woman playing with tanks. One by one. In a very laborious way. A very domestic way.


in case anyone is interested in my thoughts on the the doily piece here they are as well:

i'm thinking about altering our relationship to something that we consider very ordinary - or might even dismiss. doilies often connote "grandma" or speak of another era.

in a sense i want to update that idea. this is partially achieved by scale. by the sense of repetition. by removing the doily from how we normally view it [simply by placing in an "art" context"]. in a way i'm trying to monumentalize the doily [and by proxy pay homage to domesticity].

i'm also interested in pattern and space with these. and also how we perceive space. how 2-d and 3-d work for and against one another and how shadows are real and illusionistic.

finally i'm also interested in the idea of something becoming something else - so how do you read these? as snow? as flowers? as ghosts? i'm playing with layering both physically and hopefully conceptually.
Anonymous said…
THANKS so much for the explanations of your tanks and doilies! For non-artistic types like me it is a breath of fresh air to be able to grasp how you conceptualize what you are intending to do....I can say, "Oh, now I get it so much better!"
Anonymous said…
oh lisa. these look so amazing, and it looks like such a perfect space to showcase your work. i wish i could see it in person.

i'm so interested in what the curator said to you about your work being so japanese. sure, your work is so connected to space, but have you ever thought about that in context to your heritage? does it feel connected to you?
amisha said…
i am coming late to this post after loving the installation photos over on flickr... so happy to read this and your comments here about your thoughts in creating the work. you know that i am such a fan of the gendered themes in your work and these 2 installations have blown me away. wishing, wishing that i could see it in person too (one day!) congratulations on such a fantastic show and the beautiful compliment from the curator... absolutely true and so well put!!
xox
Anonymous said…
the tanks look totally amazing!!
love you drawing the delicate doilies ... truly wonderful exhibition!!
i too am arriving late, but was hoping after seeing pics on flickr that you'd write more about the experience and your work. was cool to read about. the tanks are just amazing. meticulous work and so beautiful!
Anonymous said…
Oh Lisa, i had a little peek at this pist a few days ago - but now ive read it and am speechless at your work - so beautiful and calming and .... the space looks so powerful. The detail with the simplicity, layers, repitition...i sadi 'speechless' so Ill be quiet!!! Just amazing - thank you for showing us xxx
Anonymous said…
And now ive just seen your comments!!! Thanks for explaining it too!!
Anonymous said…
All I can say is WOW WOW WOW!
paula said…
I'm not sure if I told you about this artist before but when reading your thoughts behind your work I remembered her. she uses common daily living objects and places them into other, different contexts. it is fun.
her name is Joana Vasconcelos
some links from google
http://images.google.co.uk/images?hl=en&q=joana%20vasconcelos&ie=UTF-8&oe=UTF-8&um=1&sa=N&tab=wi

she became well known in the art world around here a few years back with a chandelier made out of tampons to which she called "the bride"
Dominique said…
Your doilies are fantastic, love, love, love...

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