I'm in!

I recently responded to a call for artists to submit a proposal for a one-night show at a local gallery, Studio &. Only six artists were selected to participate and I AM ONE OF THEM!!!

The show will take place in downtown Durango on August 20, 2011. My installation will look like the photo on the left, only MUCH bigger.


Here's what I proposed:

April 24, 2011

Dear Studio &:

Thank you for the opportunity to offer my art for consideration in your upcoming group exhibition. I believe my work and its unique display will contribute a distinctive element to your show. I propose to install approximately 200 one-of-a-kind miniature (3 ½” x 2 ½”) mixed media collages. They will be hung so as to create a large grid consisting of small individual works of art. Implicit in this manner of display is the exploration of scale – each collage can stand alone, while also being part of a much larger composition. More specifically, I intend to hang each collage using miniature (5/8”) binder clips attached to lengths of wire parallel to the floor and parallel and equidistant to each other. The total effect will be as impressive from a distance as it will be up close. [Please refer to image 1.]

I have been making mixed media collages for many years, during which time I have experimented with numerous materials. Among my favorites are handmade paper, oil pastel, paint, and pen & ink. But what influence me most are the materials I discover in varied and unusual places: parking lots, trash bins, thrift stores, and generally wherever something – usually discarded – appeals to me. Some of these materials include bottle caps, found papers, rusty hardware and metal objects, text from vintage books, buttons, beads, and tea bags. While I employ commercial papers and elements in my collages, I am most excited by the possibilities offered by non-traditional materials.

Though primarily non-objective, my collages are of varied size and style. Throughout my career, however, I have returned often to the format of the artist trading card. The intimacy offered by that size both excites and challenges me. I find it so rewarding when I am able to create a small work of art that successfully resolves its elements, as well as entices the viewer to explore its tiny world.

In sum, my artistic agenda is simple: to create art that is pleasing in composition, palette, and use of materials, while drawing viewers in and encouraging individual meaning-making. In all these ways my art will bring a distinct flavor to your show.

I look forward to hearing from you and hope to be a part of this exciting endeavor.

Most sincerely,

Nancy Arnold Harris