There Is A mountain, The Video

When the mountain is completely installed, we make a decision. The three of us have video. Mary’s and my video show process. Carolyn’s is slightly different in that it is an actual work that can stand alone. Here it will sit on her wall along side her drawings and paintings.

We discuss the flow of activity with Marco and Tiffany and conclude – 3 videos are two too many for the space. My process videos and Mary’s are in the blog only. I’ve included numerous ones here already.

Below is Mary’s video titled There Is a Mountain. It represents South Mountain, located here in Phoenix. It begins with a line, followed by each layer of form and texture that make up the various digital drawings. You see the parts first, then the series of layers appear in the order in which they sit. You get a sense of how the mountain develops. It ends with a final line that clarifies everything. Mary notes the line took an entire day to construct.

The video compresses into 3.5 minutes what took months to create.

we deliver the artwork

It’s an interesting opportunity to drop work off in person. One gets to know the various people who contribute to the success of an exhibit.

Marco, as noted earlier, is the new Exhibits Preparator/Specialist. I arrive to find him on a very high ladder. He is setting up an area where the museum showcases its permanent collection. I guess those ceilings to be over 25 feet high.

And though busy, he takes time to show us his new digs. He has an impressive workspace that is clearly to his liking.  I spend time talking with him and learn that Marco is one of few Latino exhibition specialists in the country. Bravo!

Marco, Mitch, Mary and Peri

Because shows are coming down and new work is going up we are directed to leave the work in the area where the private collection is stored. The climate controlled space is sprinkled with great artwork.

Mary needs to look at the ceiling in the North Gallery, which is not as high as the other galleries at the center. She can hang her sculptures with no out of the ordinary concerns. She talks low voltage, electrical panels, and transformers. I have a hanging issue with my 2 large works, and Marco makes a suggestion that appeals to my aesthetics. Mary and I wonder why the space looks smaller. We joke because the majority of our work is now complete, we have no overwhelming emotions – is there a connection?  And Mary finishes up saying that her mountain will be delivered soon. How many people can say that?

Meanwhile back at her studio … Carolyn is completing her painting. I caught her progress at an early stage where she was mapping the woods out. All her work is at Mesa, she’ll be delivering this 16 panel piece soon.

Impromptu lunch with a variety of creative people – personal history is shared but so are things like banana art, transformers and inventor Tesla.

Art.

how things are looking

All three of us have been members of artist run gallery spaces. Mary is still a member of one. Having done it numerous times, we’re each  familiar with installing exhibitions. Though we’ll have input, MAC basically takes care of most of the work. Marco Albarran is the new gallery specialist / preparator. Mary and I are pleased to hear the news, we’ve both worked with him.

Quick rundown on progress: Mary (Nature) is complete with her mountain. The printers will install it  – just after the New Year. Her sculptures are ready, and the lighting is getting finalized. Carolyn (Creature) is finishing up her very large work. Today her and I went over photographing artwork. I am (Man) cleaning up the edges on my painting and my smaller drawings are still at the framers, I’ll be picking them up next week. Most of the work gets delivered by the 11th of December and the show opens exactly one month after that.

We imagine what the space might look like. Do we have enough work? Will it flow? Leave it to Mary to make a clean and detailed model of the North Gallery.

I did it 2 ways, begins Mary – one with Carolyn on the south wall, Monica on the north – and the other way around. Take a look, our work is just so synergetic in this space. I was just mocking it up to see about spacing so don’t look at the placement order just the size and scale, she says. Also I can mock it up with your work  intermixed which I am happy to do if you want. 

Carolyn responds with how wonderful it is to see the model ... the scale of our work together seems really great. She’s also clear, she prefers her work be on the South wall. I’m good with that. She continues with how much she loves the way Mary’s piece fits the back wall … so impressive. I agree.

I feel we need to move Carolyn’s and my large works to the front of the space, to even out  activity. My wall seems busy, maybe one larger work or two small ones go out into the entrance space.

CreatureManNature

Mary adds:  I think I will move two of my suspended pieces in toward the center – they are a little too close to your pieces. When I ask about what she might show out in the entrance area, she’s still thinking … I could maybe show my inside of cactus drawing flat. 

The conversation ends with someone saying … This is a powerful show at least at
1/2″ = 1′ !  

Earlier Tiffany communicated some cool news. Come back, we’ll fill you in.