Liminal Art Journey: Thresholds
June 1, 2023 6:24 pm
Liminal Art Journey: Thresholds is a journey into and between thresholds of time. From the “Right Now,” I explore memories of “Yesterday” while reaching for possibilities within “What’s Next.” My liminal creations invite people on little adventures through time and space: fantastical journeys with the power to reach into the past, release a splash of imagination to the present moment, and explore imaginative possibilities in tomorrow. “Ten Rides on the Carousel” is a liminal journey back to one of my earliest recollections: my first trip to Central Park. It’s a memory as fresh as it was 50 years ago. No child would forget one ride on the park’s intricately carved, colorful, creatures rising up and down in tandem upon the spinning, bejeweled platform. These moments don’t escape us. These moments are also quite ubiquitous: if not a carousel, then the memory is of some other primary, magical experience that’s seared into memory. For me, it wasn’t just one ride. I got ten rides. Each time around, I watched my father wave and smile as the music played and the whole world spun around me. Forgetting this isn’t conceivable, and remembering is far too pleasurable. Recreating this moment was a chance to relive the wonder of the past and pass the enchantment on to others in the present. It was exquisite to go back to Yesterday while seeing it all in front of me right now. The power of capturing the moment and keeping it for Tomorrow is magnificent. The piece de resistance is grasping the handle of the hand drill and driving the gears to make the carousel spin. An additional curiosity that would pique a child’s imagination is the removeable animals that I fancy could be believed as “real” and used to rehearse a story of a day on the merry go round. I’d like to believe this creation would fascinate young children while simultaneously igniting memory and possibility for people of all ages. Spanning time, “Ten Rides on the Carousel” is a gateway backwards and forwards from “Right Now” thus making all moments in time “in tandem.” Liminal Art Journey: Thresholds is a passage into and between moments in time- which puts the viewer at a liminal threshold betwixt past, present, and future.
Liminal Art Journey: Thresholds is an invitation for the artist to play with time as they explore with new art practices, materials, and creative disciplines. It’s an invitation to sculpt if you paint. It’s an opportunity to use watercolors if you normally paint with oils. If you are a photographer, perhaps this blog is inspiration to play with new digital tools? A collage artist might see encouragement here and begin to make their own collage papers using recyclable elements. What would happen if you collected natural elements on a walk through the woods and then made something beautiful? What ways can you use new artistic expressions to capture a moment in time and create a piece of art that provides the viewer with a liminal experience. Artists are timekeepers and the opportunity to grasp memories, moments, and possibilities is a gift their work can offer others.
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