Kristen Ellsworth, Department of Art
I proposed to create a series of seven full-sheet fine arts prints to serve as a final project to be exhibited April 1995. Having completed the project on schedule, I am pleased to report that the body of work consists of eight I 7 x 22 inch bleed etchings.
Through this project, I have seen personal development as well as development in my art. With the theme of the creation of the universe, I had set out to communicate my impressions of scriptures. I assumed the concept was enough to tie the pieces together. I was mistaken. Consistency in the prints came only when I resolved to create a visual vocabulary from which to work. I could then decide what it was that I wanted to communicate in each piece and used the symbols that worked.
The grid form symbolizes organization and planning, in that all things were made spiritually before they were made physically. It is also a reference to the idea of the calendar and the passing of time. The spiral refers to chaos or matter in the process of being organized. The checkerboard is another symbol of organization, but contains opposition which must exist in everything. It is a combination of the good and bad which forms complete truth. The sun refers to daylight and the measure of time as well as Christ who is the light of the world. Trees are symbols of all plant life. The fruit can refer to the labors or actions of men or anything that nourishes. As Christ was crucified on wood, the tree has given life in the eternal sense as well. The specific tree in this series is the tree of knowledge of good and evil.
This was the first time that I played with the interaction of representational and abstracted images. I feel that this was successful in that it captures the essence of each stage of creation as well as the superficial, or the actual creation of God interplayed with my interpretation of the objects created. Perhaps a stronger display of representational images would be more interesting. The fish xerox transfer on Beasts, Fowels, and Fishes and the map xerox transfer of Dividing of Land from Sea read better than the textural soft-ground etchings. In the future, I wish to play more with the idea of appropriation and piecing together other’s ideas to make them my own.
Restraining my urge to use a lot of color was a challenge. Having been unsuccessful with my attempted monotype and watercolor application, I decided to limit color to text. The value subtleties and textures were not overpowered by bright colors, rather the viewer needed to approach each piece to even find color. I used printer’s ink and goasche for an opaque effect.
The words or labels help to communicate my messages because some of my symbols are not widely understood. I have not effectively done my job if my work is too ambiguous for the viewer to grasp. The use of text or labels seems like an appropriate teaching method.
My greatest influence has been that of the ancient, southern Utah, Indian, rock artists. Originally I was enchanted by the whimsy and charm of the anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms, but as I’ve studied, I’ve been moved by the deep spirituality of the works. The essential element of the
ancient rock works is the fact that the work for something beyond themselves. They tell the story of real people living at a specific time in a way that becomes timeless. The contemporary artist I most wish to emulate is Doug Himes, who shares my desire to make more perfect art. I have borrowed his use of text and color, as well as the texture and scale of his etchings. His work inspires me to become more holistic and purpose-filled as I create.
I am a daughter of God. I feel the innate desire to create, as He created. My final project is a representation of the creation of the universe, and in my act of creating the prints, I have learned a little bit about my role as God’s daughter. My art is not only the framed works displayed, but the act of creating as well. My scraping, scratching. polishing, and my many fits were a sort of performance art, in the sense that the world is a stage. I feel my project was successful in that I accomplished the things I had proposed with several careful adjustments.