Making The Best Of It

One of the early assignments for my Variable Topics of Drawing class involved making some smaller collages. Today, I submitted one of my favorites to EVERYTHING(an alternative art magazine). I used the layering of red mesh to create this composition. I'm really interested in materials of different transparencies, and the relationship and commentary they can create. This piece is an example of using the same material and transforming it into different hues and shapes. One of the constant lessons that I am learning is that you don't need a million different ingredients to create something beautiful or meaningful. Barbara introduced us to a poem by Kay Ryan entitled "The Best of It", that I feel describes this aspect of the piece:

The Best of It

However carved up

or pared down we get,

we keep on making

the best of it as though

it doesn't matter that

our acre's down to

a square foot. As

though our garden

could be one bean

and we'd rejoice if

it flourishes, as

though one bean

could nourish us

This poem really speaks to me in terms of artwork and life in general. Only having "one bean" in your garden, you put all of your love and care into its well-being. This minimalist love helps us grasp the importance and sometimes need for simplicity. As a painter, I feel most successful when I can describe a lot with a small amount of mark. Within this collage, I am attempting to nurture this singular material in order to produce something nourishing. By "making the best of it" you can turn something average into something extraordinary. In a world of complexity and chaos, sometimes the simple, little things are the ones that make us stop and "rejoice."

In a less technical and material based approach, my connection to this piece, other than being the creator of it, lies in the cellular qualities of the structures. While putting all of the pieces together, I noticed how much these forms reminded me of blood cells. These tiny things that are a living part of you. You don't necessarily think about them on a daily basis, but they are constantly with you. In life, I feel like the little things are what make you special. Its a little bit of yourself and the "one bean [that] could nourish us."