Ocean & Sky.
Ink on paper with twine and wood.
8' x 4'. 2013.
Also inspired by my trip to the Washington State coast, this curtain reveals an abstract view of the wide open spaces of sky and ocean — they blend together, allowing for an even more compelling sense of expansiveness. The horizontal strips imply, perhaps, a sense of a window, and the curtain enhances that sense of inside (confinement) and outside (freedom).
Washington winters are generally stereotyped as grey and colorless, but when I looked out over the “grey” landscape of sand, sea, and sky, I saw nothing but rich, albeit subtle, color. It is those subtleties of perception that make life so rich and meaningful.
Ocean & Sky, detail.
The curtain is made of cotton twine that is tied into chain sennet ropes. Most people think these ropes are braids, but the knots are actually a series of loops. I chose to create the curtain from this particular type of knot because of its conceptual depth. The twine, in this configuration, is compressed to about 25% of its original length. When the last knot in the chain is released the entire chain unravels in a matter of seconds. This fits perfectly with my theme — exploring that knife-edge of time between two life chapters, between innocence and knowing, between those game-changing moments that allow us to see our situations from expanded points-of-view.
Ocean & Sky, detail.
