Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3 - (Page 22)

>muse In this day and age, with technology all the rage, sending things through the mail might seem a little archaic. After all, you can correspond through e-mail at lightening speed without wasting any trees. But perhaps there are benefits we are overlooking, like the element of surprise when a handwritten letter arrives or the element of suspense as you wait for a reply. To add to the pleasure of sending a letter, some folks will doodle in the margins or include photographs. hand2hand written by > Della p. nakedcity 1 2 3 HAnD to HAnD: a coast to coast collaborative, will open at Tangent Lab on Friday, February 29. Technically speaking, the show is a series of 8x10 assemblage works that were created in multiple stages—being sent back and fourth through the mail by Trawick and Wallace. The heavy dose of historical symbolism means that people of different ages and backgrounds will no doubt draw different conclusions from the work. Imagery often alludes to our natural or cultural heritage ala 1950’s ephemera, old school photographs and aged paper. In Liaison, a hand-written letter (a love letter perhaps?) and an illustration of a string tied around the ring finger set up an intimate dialogue within the work. Aged-paper pieces are placed in grid-fashion, giving the reader a sort of road-map around the love affair of two people long since departed. The man is strapping, with a satisfied smile and sharp eyes that peer from behind a veil. The woman—in her late nineteenth century garb—stands staunch in the corner, peering up at him from a distance. Although we cannot tell who placed what—and indeed the artists may not remember themselves—it is important to recognize that these intuitive works were born of a trusting and constructive relationship. “It’s interesting because there were times when I would set stuff down on a piece and I would imagine the direction it would go and I would get it back from her and it was completely different. There were times when things were covered over that I thought were important to the piece and my first reaction is to think ‘Oh, well crap. It’s ruined.’ But then I would look at it again and I would think ‘Well, I never would’ve thought of doing this, so this makes me think of doing something different’ and I would add something and go in the direction I thought she was taking it,” said Wallace. “I can only speak for myself, but the whole process was good for me because I thought outside of my comfortable zone, how I always create. I have gone into a different area because I was forced to because of the choices she made. I enjoy the process a lot actually.” As a testament to this process, Wallace and Trawick decided to keep a record of the changes each piece underwent. Thumbnail images will be displayed in the gallery alongside each finished piece. Twenty works from the HAnD to HAnD collection will be showing at tAngent LAb, with the distinction of being the first national traveling exhibit that has come to the gallery. Brad Ruder, owner of tAngent LAb, said that the artists decided to show in the Midwest because they wanted to trace the route that the artwork might have taken as it was sent from one coast to the other. Before arriving in WIcHItA, HAnD to HAnD was on display in St. LouIS, Mo. It was herein Missouri- that Trawick and Wallace met for the first time. “That’s something that the gallery owner in St. Louis really wanted to do. He was fascinated by that aspect of it- that we created all this work and never met, or even talked on the phone,” said Wallace. Accompanying the HAnD to HAnD exhibition will be collaborative works from local artists who were solicited to make pieces for the show. Ruder said that this was something the artists insisted on because they wanted to involve members of the community they were visiting. It gives local artists a reason to collaborate and come out to enjoy the show. So come on out for the festivities opening night. Enjoy the show. >>> Early in 2005, Pittsburgh based artist David Wallace approached L.A. based colleague Rebecca Trawick with a novel idea that would push their relationship out of the realm of the internet and into the real world via the postal service. Although mail art is less popular now than in the WWI stricken world of early 20th century DADA, this exhibit proves that mail art and paper collage work are not outmoded nor outdone by digital media (ala e-mail and Photoshop). Opening reception: Feb. 29, 2008 @ 7-11p.m. Closing reception: March 14, 2008 @ 7-10p.m. Hand to Hand: a coast to coast collaborative: Tangent Lab 22 nakedcitymag.com > volume 1 issue 3 http://nakedcitymag.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3

Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3 Contents Muse - A Walk Around the Block Terrain - Geocoaching Uncommon Threads - Stylin' in Doodah Iconology - Illustrated Man Babble - Reporter's Journal Noise - Hearts and Bondage Cake - Road Trip Grub Juiced - Death to Analog Muse - The Art of Emprise Muse - Vision for a Beautiful City Muse - Hand2Hand Uncommon Threads - Matt Egan Male Model Spin - It Never Came Here: Brick Street - A Piece of Americana Noise - Metal Engagement Spin - Road Trip 10 Noise - Jason Aldern Spin - The Need to Read Make Me Blush - Personal Landscaping Lip Service - Ask the Ass

Naked City - Volume 1 Issue 3

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