Boxes

It makes perfect sense that an Apple IPad box is my version of the shadow box. Their size and structure lend themselves perfectly and there is a built in plastic shelf which works for placement of the abstract elements. [I have a secret source for the boxes, lets just say Harvard buys a lot of electronics for students to borrow from the libraries.]

People often ask me how I work. Do I choose the parts or the background first. The answer is, both and its always different. The Boxes were assembled during the Covid lock down. They are a nice compact size and fit well on my dining room table.

When I am taking something apart and collecting the parts I like, occasionally I find something really special and I put it with my other best parts. If I see a combination of parts that excites me, I pull them aside, with the plan of getting to them later. This was the case with these boxes.

My collection of best parts was one of the first of my supplies that I brought home back in March 2020. I knew I was going to use them with the beautiful collages made by Marcia Cohen which fit perfectly in the 10” x 7” boxes. The next step is a matter of arranging and re-arranging and waiting for some clarity to reveal itself. The four pieces made with Marcia’s collage were a convergence: the box, the collage and the best parts. They really are some of my favorite work.

Marcia makes her prints by layering different patterns, colors and flowing lines. When I first saw them I felt a connection and knew I would find commonalities between the imagery and the parts.

In Green & Purple, a ring of copper mirrors a round purple element in the print. The vertical placement of the 3 other parts align with the direction of the flowing lines. The components seem tangled up in hair, while the their orderly lines of dark little buttons and gold fins create a dynamic contrast with the flowing background.

I call the next one Baby Blue because of the color of the upper circuit board. It’s very rare to see one of this color. It has tiny, candy-like resisters and colorful bits on it. Combined with the camo-like pattern of pale green and pink the piece is a “pretty pastel” arrangement. Viewed from the side, you can see the balance of two silver swooping parts screwed into boards. Delicate patterns of tracers on a thin plastic layer and the tiny laptop disc augment the preciousness of the piece.

Link to 2020 work.