Jona8than Green Art and Other Things

To do a large scale three dimensional rubbing of a shed, which is then reconstructed through the hanging of the sheets of paper. The reconstruction is lit from the inside; illuminating the paper and creating an object that has a spectral quality about it.

Detailed description:

The idea is to capture the nuances and details of a shed on my family property. The shed was built by my grandfather, a carpenter, all by his own hand. I would use large sheets of paper and do a rubbing of each side of the shed, including the roof. This would done all by my hand, using graphite sticks and pencils. Copied in materials more natural to me.

By doing a rubbing of the surface of the shed, I would be creating an inverse image of the shed. The paper would be hung, reconstructing the dimenisons of the shed: being _ _______. The paper would be supported by a wooden frame of the shed, fastening at the top. This would give a wavering quality to the work according to the environment conditions i.e: people walking past.The structure would be lit from the inside by a small work light hanging down in the shed, the light would illuminate the the negative spaces created through the rubbing process. This would contrast against the dark grey of the graphite.

This project is a continuation of my current investigations in drawing and printmaking. I am drawing but I am also capturing the imprint of the surface - like a collograph or relief print. I am constructing my own shed, reproducing some of the same motions that my grandfather would have; becoming a print myself in a sense. It touches on the concept of a film negative as well though it it is not something actively pursued.

My current art has been focusing on 'small memories' of objects, memories that an object accumulate, common objects that many people can have a connection to. With this there is always the issue of lost and a sense of mourning, this goes from the personal to the larger population that many Atlantic Canadians have a familial connection to a shed. A sense of place definitely plays into the work, it is a product of its environment and is commonplace in the area. The use of paper will convey the fragility of these memories, a sense of impermanence that is associated with memory. The graphite would capture the exterior of the building, allowing for the traces of aging and weather. The inverse image created by rubbing would be related to the memories associated with the shed along with the illumination of the small light bulb.

This work references the art of Do-Ho Suh, and Rachel Whiteread as well as the art of Ed Pien. Do-Ho Suh and Rachel Whiteread both investigate space and the sense of place in their work along with concepts of memory and loss. Where as Pien has influence my practice in the sense of drawing and installation, by showing the intimacy that drawing can have and the way the material can be used beyond a support for a drawing.