GLUE

Hey, Rona’! The Sun Will Come Out Tomorrow, 2020
Image Size: 22 X 28 inches, Mixed Media Collage

Many suffer and inequalities glare; too, many cooperate and inspire hope.

Coronavirus and the global pandemic resulted in an unprecedented response to mitigate the spread and morbidity of the virus which included the closure of most all non-essential public spaces. Public health decisions led people to social distancing, quarantine, and safer-at-home efforts.

My access to a printing press for printmaking was closed. Inspired by Rauschenberg and Matisse I began to experiment with various mediums and methods: glue, cutting images from magazines, listening to music lyrics and poetry, reading scientific articles, and painting mystery and beauty onto skulls. I made my first mixed media collage for myself- art therapy. I didn’t intend to share it with others. It turns out “others” inspired every effort. Thank you. Thank you for waving hello and for crossing the street and giving space. Thank you for sharing information, inspiration and hope.

Especially:
-Catherine Feeny for her song, Mr. Blue, and my daughter for sharing all her playlists
-My Family
-Yoga Soup and the many amazing instructors in Santa Barbara, CAThe Cave -Man Cometh by Franz Lidz from Smithsonian Magazine (May 2019)
“Facts are stubborn….collective endeavor.” João Zilhão
-The Neanderthal Man, “Modern man’s… his own ego.” written and produced by Aubrey Wisberg, Jack Pollexfen, a United Artists Corporation copyright 1953
-A Brief History of Cooties by Jane C. Hu, image by Bijou Karman the childhood game of “cooties” has endured among schoolchildren from Smithsonian Magazine (May 2019)
-Emily Dickenson, “Hope” is a thing with feathers
-W.B. Yeats poem, The Second Coming, which I tore from the prologue of Joan Didion’s book of essays, Slouching Towards Bethlehem, which my dog destroyed- jealous of my reading
-When I returned from Rome, a poem by St. Francis read aloud during yoga
-Bad News Wrapped in Protein: Inside The Coronavirus Genome by Jonathan Corum and Carl Zimmer, The New York Times, April 3, 2020
-“The S proteins form prominent spikes on the surface of the virus by arranging themselves in groups of three. These crownlike spikes give the coronavirus their name.” I hope the mice are passing notes in lab, to stop “ccucggcgggca” which helps the spike protein bind tightly to human cells.
-Photo image “a serious business” from the article, Money From Rubbish Mucking In from The Economist, November 2nd 2013
-Photo images of Moai Statues, Easter Island, (Rapa Nui) various travel catalogs
-Photo image of mass migration due to flooding, Patagonia Provisions 2019 catalog
-Birds of California Field Guide by Stan Tekiela, drawing of Scarlet Tanager, perching birds, by my son
-Birthday card greetings
-Dr. Anthony Fauci
-Quote from Marie Curie from Title Nine spring/summer catalog
-My sister who ran for hope, joy, hugs – sometimes in a costume to brighten others’ days
-Kindness poem by Naomi Shihab Nye read aloud during yoga meditation
-Photo image of rooster, Baker Creek Seed Catalog 2019
-Image of Indigenous Person in restaurant mural Bon Appetit 2020
-Photo image of man with head in hand, Folio Society catalog James Albon’s illustration