Mask, 4" x 2" x 1/2"deep, 1991
© Christine Mauersberger
Mask, 4" x 2" x 1/2"deep, 1991
© Christine Mauersberger
Three Masks, approximately 6" diameter x 1" deep, 1991
This photo is from a newspaper clipping at the Cleveland Plain Dealer 1991.
Private Collection K. Taber
© Christine Mauersberger
Last week I was asked about masks that I used to make. These masks came out of my printmaking explorations.
Flattered and a bit wistful, I pulled out the remaining few I have.
I hope to re-engage in the mask making process.
Mark making continues to hold tremendous appeal for me.
As much as weaving did when I was 19 in 1989 see here.
I'm interested in hearing from you:
I posit that what you were interested in as a child or young adult is what still holds your interest and is possibly what feeds you as an adult.
What thread of continuity do you find in your art?
Do you look back at what you were doing as a younger person and find that it resonates for you today?
What mark do you make?
Please share this post with other people. I'd like to write an article about my results.
p.s.
If you're a young person, what do you expect you'll be making in the future that has ties to what you're doing today?
fascination with cloth has always been there for me. i used to unravel fabric as a child. to understand it.
ReplyDeletei made doll clothes and my own clothes. still make my clothes. i made quilts, i still make quilts.
but i learned to weave and my focus on fabric became more structural and these elements have combined into investigating the relationship between sewing and weaving and i am starting to make those marks only now. it is still about cloth. about how to express the nature of cloth. i am quite excited.
My answer may not be as specific as some but I say that I've always made things. The things might be doll clothes, a costume for myself, some sort of 'contraption', drawings, paintings, face painting, hair twisting, the list goes on. My family owned a hardware business and the inventory of the store was like a giant treasure trove of art supplies. My art is now focused on fabric but I spent many years making mixed media sculpture which was a definite tie to that store and my childhood.
ReplyDeleteWell - as a kid I spent hours with colored pencils drawing machines - lots and lots of bright colors - lots of decoration.
ReplyDeleteNow I make abstract textile art that is very spare. Not sure I see a connection.
As I get older I want less visual distraction?
as a child i dyed things with my grandmother and sewed with her as well. my mother guided me in dressmaking.
ReplyDeletelike Jude i made doll's clothes, my own clothes [some a wild embarrassment] and still make clothes [some considered by my children to be a wild embarrassment]. i also work in costume form time to time.
running stitch remains my favourite and i'm still making marks on cloth with plant dyes...
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ReplyDeleteWhen I was a kid, I mainly drew. My mom taught me how to crochet when I was about 9 years old. I remember just doing the chain stitch and single crochet. I didn't stick with it for too long. I stuck with drawing. But I grew up watching my mom crochet and sew.
ReplyDelete5 or 6 years ago I bought a few crochet books and learned how to read patterns and make up my own. Today I'm in love with it. My attention has turned more to fiber art.
(I'm happy to see the masks again!)
Thank you each for commenting. I will keep these as I develop my ideas and writing.
ReplyDeletethose masks are wonderful
ReplyDelete