Category: art

art, Articles, what we do

First there is a mountain, then there is no mountain, then there is.

bethhellerconservation

Thanks, Donovan, for the lyric.  Or a zen master. One of the two.

This post is about a bullet hole through a watercolor.  It’s about a watercolor that was the last one done by the artist before her body stopped cooperating with her enough to paint, or to go to the places from which she liked to paint.  It’s about a bullet that came through the house from the outside, traveled through the painting and on out into the house, but did not travel through the artist who would normally be standing there if it had just been 15 minutes later. This post is about fixing something more than bursting paper.  This post is about why I love this work.

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art, Articles, what to read

There Is A Cloud Floating In This Sheet of Paper

bethhellerconservation

I’ve written here before about Thich Nhat Hahn and the zen of paper conservation.  Here is a lovely, simple meditation from his book Being Peace.

“If you are a poet, you will see clearly that there is a cloud floating in this sheet of paper. Without a cloud there will be no water; without water, the trees cannot grow; and without trees you cannot make paper. So the cloud is in here. The existence of this page is dependent on the existence of a cloud. Paper and cloud are so close. Let us think of other things, like sunshine. Sunshine is very important because the forest cannot grow without sunshine, and we humans cannot grow without sunshine. So the logger needs sunshine in order to cut the tree, and the tree needs sunshine in order to be a tree. Therefore you can see sunshine in this sheet of paper. And if you look more deeply … you see not only the cloud and the sunshine in it, but that everything is here: the wheat that became the bread for the logger to eat, the logger’s father … the paper is full of everything, the entire cosmos. The presence of this tiny sheet of paper proves the presence of the whole cosmos.”

art, Tape is Evil

Another Instance of Tape Not Being Evil

bethhellerconservation

Click the image for more about this sticky installation.  All I can think about when I look at it, though, is the frustration level of dealing with 550 rolls of packing tape for which you cannot find the end.  Did the installer have assistants that did nothing but keep the tape end ready?  How did they avoid entrapping themselves? I’m pretty sure I would have ended up in the center of a giant tape ball.

art

Two Cool Opportunities

bethhellerconservation

I have some interesting friends.  Here are two opportunities presented by four of them:

Tish Brewer and Shannon Driscoll teach a series of classes in Dallas under the name Paper Nerds. The next one  is this sunday, august 2nd from 1 to 4ish.  Here is their description:

“this workshop will explore fold and envelope book structures. the variations are endless and the opportunity for creativity is boundless. these handmade books are a great way to organize all of your small odds and ends. each envelope page or pocket can hold something different such as ephemera, mementos, photographs, and other keep sakes. learn to make a business card holder with decorative papers. ”

Next up, we have Jan Elftmann and Kelly Lyles, who are taking people to China:

“Get connected to China’s thriving Contemporary Art Scene, September 18-29th. Kelly Lyles will be taking 24 artists (or arts appreciators) to Beijing, Shanghai, Zhouzhuang, and Hangzhou, on a VIP networking trip to meet our Chinese Peers (artists and curators). We’ll visit galleries, Museum, art academies and residencies, and of course all the spectacular historical sights of the world’s largest country,  Forbidden City, Great Wall, etc, w/ VIP treatment entire time, since we’re actually guests of the Chinese Government. No waiting in lines, we’re guests of honour at Banquets. This is through ‘World Trade Exchange’, by invitation of the Chinese government, so it’s a resume builder as well as educational (& of course FUN!). Everyone who’s come with WTE (including Arts commission & Archie Bray Foundation) has said “life-changing”. There’s many testimonials on their website…”

partial deposit ASAP, in order to procure Visas in time
or go to the WTE  Phone: (425) 890-3184 http://www.wte-usa.com/

art

Persistence of Vision Toys

bethhellerconservation

Someday, when my bindery is set up, I want to experiment with these art/book/film forms.  In the meantime, here is food for dreaming.  Also, don’t forget Diorama-O-Rama in Dallas, May 23rd!

Above is a case containing a selection of our persistence of vision toys. In left of the front row is a Mechanical Cinema toy that spins to show movement by combining the images on two sides of the card. Next is a 19th century Phenakistoscope with a selection of reels. On the right in that row is a Praxinoscope, a drum with a center of mirror facets. Back left is an early 20th century variation of the Phenakistoscope, the Motion Picture Show or Ludoscope. Back right is a large Zoetrope (wheel of life) on a base. (from website http://brightbytes.com/collection/per_vis.html)
Above is a case containing a selection of our "persistence of vision" toys. In left of the front row is a Mechanical Cinema toy that spins to show movement by combining the images on two sides of the card. Next is a 19th century Phenakistoscope with a selection of reels. On the right in that row is a Praxinoscope, a drum with a center of mirror facets. Back left is an early 20th century variation of the Phenakistoscope, the Motion Picture Show or Ludoscope. Back right is a large Zoetrope (wheel of life) on a base. (from website http://brightbytes.com/collection/per_vis.html)
art, New technologies

Tomorrow’s Ephemera Today

bethhellerconservation

Something called Paper Camp took place this past weekend in London, and some very interesting experiments were performed.   This person blogged about it.  I kind of wish I had been there, but my brain might have exploded from all the creativity, so it’s probably safer that I wasn’t.

However.  Prepare to deal with this in the conservation lab of the future.  Or of next week.