Ephemeral

detail from Road Trip

This is a group of three sculptures from my Impermanence series. I finished them a few months ago and they're being shown starting next week in this beautiful space.

Road Trip by Deborah Jaouen

Upcycled chair, found road fragments, mirrors, phone part, vintage boat steering wheel

They're made from upcycled chairs, as well as other found things I have collected in the past year or so. I found actual pieces of the yellow line painted on the road--Highway 12 in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. It gets destroyed regularly during hurricanes. The latest time was a couple weeks ago during Sandy.

detail from Conversation 

Conversation by Deborah Jaouen

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Upcycled chair, phone parts, 1900's ephemera, lace, vintage cart wheel

The newest finds inspired me and I was able to flesh them out with other things from my collections. Phones are ephemeral now, but they last for centuries in our landfills.

detail from The Naturalist

The Naturalist by Deborah Jaouen  Upcycled chair, bones, coral, shells, ceramic, birch, leather, rusty pitchfork

Do you get more inspired by the most recent things that find their way to you? Do pieces you've had for years become uninspiring, or maybe the longer you have them the harder it is to let go of them?

 

In Memory

Photo taken in September 2010 at Ladder Co. 10 and Engine Co. 10,  Liberty Street firehouse, across the street from Ground Zero (please click on the link to read about this firehouse).

Remember.

Kolams of Pondicherry

The Kolam practice as an ephemeral art form in public space.
A video by Kaaren Beckhof

I found this wonderful video about an ancient ritual performed by the women of Tamil Nadu in the mystical hour before dawn. They use rice powder to create geometrical patterns on the thresholds of their homes. "In olden days, kolams used to be drawn in coarse rice flour, so that the ants don't have to work so hard for a meal. The rice powder is said to invite birds and other small critters to eat it, thus inviting other beings into one's home and everyday life: a daily tribute to harmonious co-existence. It is a sign of invitation to welcome all into the home, not the least of whom is Goddess Lakshmi, the Goddess of prosperity"  via utsavastu
You can read more here.

Glorious Imperfection

Wabi-sabi is a concept that you’ve probably encountered in some context, even if it wasn’t identified with its cool Japanese name. It’s the ancient Japanese art of seeing beauty in the imperfect, impermanent, rustic and primitive.

Wabi now connotes rustic simplicity, freshness or quietness, and can be applied to both natural and human-made objects, or understated elegance. It can also refer to quirks and anomalies arising from the process of construction, which add uniqueness and elegance to the object. Sabi is beauty or serenity that comes with age, when the life of the object and its impermanence are evidenced in its patina and wear, or in any visible repairs. (thanks wikipedia)

When I first became aware of wabi-sabi, I thought it summarized perfectly my fondness for “destructed” surfaces. Then I started seeing wabi-sabi mentioned a lot, mostly in the context of artwork. You know how it happens—once you’ve noticed something you see it everywhere! Anyone else fascinated by imperfection and character? I'd love to hear about it if you are.