Storytelling revisited

Back in August and September, I worked on a large piece of black linen that I had painted with white acrylic and then set about composing a story within a story on by stamping within the outlines of stenciled letters. 

When the piece was complete, I hung it to view and live with for a bit. After a week or so, it just was not speaking to me. It seems, as so often happens, that the processes of printmaking and storytelling had been what had held me spellbound while working on it. 

One day I decided to follow my friend Pam's lead and cut it into smaller pieces. The roughly 4 ft x 6 ft piece rendered eighteen 11" and thirty 5" pieces. Again, I kept them hanging for a bit hoping that they would speak to me and tell me what came next. Unfortunately, that never seemed to happen so they were put away.

Since then, I have taken the pieces out to view and consider a number of times. What I found, even when they were displayed, was that the 5" pieces are more interesting. I find them more abstract, more mysterious as to what the whole might have been. Several times I have thought to cut the 11" pieces down to 5", but resisted doing so. Until last night.

 
When the large piece was originally cut down, I saved the remnants and was able to eek out another 4 pieces in addition to the 72 that the 18" pieces rendered. In total, there are now 106 5" pieces with 88 displayed. Not too bad for a couple hours work. And the ideas are now flowing as to what to do next with these little jewels.

Imagine stepping into an exhibition space to be greeted with one simple line of these pieces wrapped around all 4 walls. 

Imagine 5 or 7 accordion books stretched in varying lengths set on glass or plexiglass shelving so that books seem to float in mid-air. Imagine the shadows that could be created in either case. 

In my mind, it is all very Zen-like. Maybe place a bench or two in the exhibition space so visitors can sit and enjoy the peaceful, yet mysterious quality of the art and the space. 

Just imagine...