Aerials: Moving Forward

Now that the show AERIALS has come and gone and the piece AERIALS has been created, hung and set for another showing, I've had a few weeks to take a break, re-energize and think about the show, the work and what it means in terms of moving forward.

First off, the experimentation of AERIALS the piece, I'd say, was a total success. I don't know if it's the best piece I've ever done...but it was one of my extensive series that addressed a specific question and concept based around the physical art itself:
Will art created simultaneously result in a cohesive collection?
Can these pieces stand on their own and in a group?
Can that cohesive collection have different but equally successful orders?
Can that cohesive collection have different but equally successful groupings?
Can people see separate images, combine them into a narrative and find a single cohesive piece or will they undoubtedly try to find one specific understanding of the piece before them?

Much of the work has adopted recent techniques like dotted-patterning and dashed lines...bringing to my mind maps...aerial views...diagrams...design...much of the work has simply become a bit more graphic based...

The show also marked the first mural I've ever done in the MKE area...and although it's gone by now, i used it as a sort-of "proof of concept" project...by the way, now accepting commissions for a mural  in your home or office!

One of the biggest effects was that i was burned out of painting a bit. I know, crazy...but don't worry. Just like the last time i took a break from painting, this break led to some more ink drawings and my re-discovery of the small scale.
http://marionart23.blogspot.com/2013/12/inspiration-from-taking-break.html
 Weeks later, I'm back to the paintings, but this most recent series of drawings has directly inspired a slight shift in the work...and though it's slight, I've been very pleased with the visual effect of the recent work.

And it seems like modern technology, in the form of planes, cars, buildings, etc has become a main subject...i haven't quite worked out why they continue to appear as each piece is fairly different, but I have really enjoyed the graphic effect...
Planes have hung around for a while in my work, but never at this frequency...something about the idea that, in a plane, you have completely over-powered nature in a seemingly effortless way, yet, with the slightest mis-step, the vast effort needed becomes evident and the power you once had is immediately stripped without your consent. The simultaneous power and lack of power...

All that said, I can't say that the show was a total success. It looked great...I thought the work turned out as some of my best...the mural introduced something I've always wanted to do and the set up was stunning, but I was a bit disappointed with the turnout. I think a decent amount of people ended up seeing the show throughout the month, whether or not they attended the opening, and all the feed-back was great...but I'd really like to see more people out/talking/questioning the shows we have in town. Conversations about art are boring if there's no one there to consider your thoughts....

And so I leave AERIALS with mixed feelings. It was my best looking and most professional show I've ever put up. I'm extremely grateful for all the help, press, and feedback provided and proud of the end product...but I'm still looking for that "success"on the viewing side...that feeling that the art is really hitting the viewer, really pulling the viewer in...engaging the public...

I'm definitely moving, but I've still got a ways to go...