Situation, Positioning, Location
Turning
subtle Chinese brush work away from lovely depictions of flora and fauna to
brave the unflinching realization of environmental pollution, Kelk takes a
position and the situation is made clear - the world, lovely as it is, is
ailing from it's exposure to urbanization.
Three accordion books titled Systems: Digestive, Circulatory, Auditory,
address the permutations of her relationship to China. Rich Fog Micro
Publishing, Headbones, The Drawers' in-house printing and publishing
company, worked in collaboration with Kelk in order to reformat the original
books into a series that will eventually be a four part project with the
involuntary systems of the body used as a metaphor to examine the health of
the body of the planet. Headbones, The Drawers is presenting the first three
- Auditory, Circulatory and Digestive.
A 'tidy-up' resulted when the books were regularized in size and framed by
their embossed covers bearing the Chinese symbol of Margie Kelk's name. The
inconsistent surfaces of collaged pages became consistent within the
mechanical printing process. They 'stabilized' (to continue with the
language of health) as they were now strong enough to receive a second
treatment. This was an actual physical necessity for the first books, visual
journals made in situ and hence beginning to fray from handling, were in
dire need of revitalization if they were to survive. Hence, Kelk made a
decision - to print in a limited edition and transcend the mortal nature of
the materials by reproducing them and giving them a second or third chance
to live.
Each printed book has been doctored. The reproduced visuals have been
repainted by Kelk so that each book is, in turn, a new original. The ailment
(the encroaching toxicity) was reexamined and an application made to
revitalize the 'system'. In this second visit to the material, made from an
objectified position, she has formulated a diagnosis. With extreme concern
for the balance of the whole and the impact that her superimposition will
have on her initial visual analysis, she has drawn and painted a new layer
over the former impressions. Realizing that each new life must be utterly
individual she has created, not twins, but siblings for the first fragile
off-springs.
Copyright © 2006, Headbones Gallery, The Drawers
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