Waits, tomcod tribute to Tom Waits
My papier mâché works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music as old as 300 years (1723-1972). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have had a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan.
It is important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of colour resulting from age, paper composition (cotton, linen even mummy paper from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns are all components of my palette.
My fish are about going back upstream, memory, belonging and the watery wonder of movement. I was looking to make a series of fish native to my area and came upon the wolffish. I am drawn to wolves and have made several as they are about pack and community, teaching. When I make wolf, I recall the story of our having two wolves inside of us, one mangy and full of anger and the other with healthy coat and happy panting tongue, we can choose which one to feed. I love the epic fins on this fish, and there are many variants, mine included.
When I played with the surface of this fish I wanted to let myself go with the flow, trusting that it would lead to a place I was delighted to go! I was transfixed by Tom Waits from the first time I heard him sing. The delight of his songwriting and charismatically quirky world continues to delight and challenge me. I do love musical complexity and challenge, poetry that stings and people that dare to go with the flow. This one is for the magic of Mr. Tom Waits.
I name my sculptures because of all the joy and healing I have received from the musical artists they are dedicated to. It is a way for me to share their names and encourage my patrons to choose a musical artist of their own to nickname their sculptures so they can likewise invoke their musical heroes.
My papier mâché works using antique sheet music seek to celebrate and repurpose the best and worst quality music from my great paper era collection of music as old as 300 years (1723-1972). My creative endeavours have focused on creating and celebrating language with a particular focus on universal languages. As a multi lingual and multi cultural person music was (and still is) a most tangible link to culture for me. I grew up moving every two years and although we were posted far and wide, my parents, an Irish mother from the north of Ireland and a French Canadian military man with Métis heritage, made sure we were given strong links to our mixed heritage. I also use it because the wealth of printed music from the last several centuries has become obsolete for the most part. It was collected and shared with great care and love, from one generation to another, as such the quality of the paper was essential to its longevity. The greatest paper made over the centuries was made for music, which was to pass from hand to hand to hand. I have had a great love for it and have always yearned to use it in my work as an artist and artisan.
It is important for me to honour every aspect of each piece of music I used for this work. As such, the inventory of colour resulting from age, paper composition (cotton, linen even mummy paper from the 1840’s), margins, print size, decorative whimsy and graphic patterns are all components of my palette.
My fish are about going back upstream, memory, belonging and the watery wonder of movement. I was looking to make a series of fish native to my area and came upon the wolffish. I am drawn to wolves and have made several as they are about pack and community, teaching. When I make wolf, I recall the story of our having two wolves inside of us, one mangy and full of anger and the other with healthy coat and happy panting tongue, we can choose which one to feed. I love the epic fins on this fish, and there are many variants, mine included.
When I played with the surface of this fish I wanted to let myself go with the flow, trusting that it would lead to a place I was delighted to go! I was transfixed by Tom Waits from the first time I heard him sing. The delight of his songwriting and charismatically quirky world continues to delight and challenge me. I do love musical complexity and challenge, poetry that stings and people that dare to go with the flow. This one is for the magic of Mr. Tom Waits.
I name my sculptures because of all the joy and healing I have received from the musical artists they are dedicated to. It is a way for me to share their names and encourage my patrons to choose a musical artist of their own to nickname their sculptures so they can likewise invoke their musical heroes.