Author: NLS
Nyctograph
I had a vague notion that nyctograph was a form of writing but I had to google the word to find out its proper definition. I found several hits that stated it was a form of night writing, without the aid of illumination, devised by Lewis Carroll. I could not however, find the actual symbols Carroll used.
I don’t know how many times I have attempted to write notes in the dark of night and find the next morning what I had written was difficult to read.
I like the idea of a symbol system using a template rather than graph paper. I could use any available scrap of paper or even my arm. I took to writing on myself when I was giving art sessions at a maximum security forensic facility.
This is a sample of the grid template that I found at Wikipedia.
I pretty much use Morse and Tap Code, or reference to them in my work. Coding for me started when I made a series of bronze daggers and titled them after folks who were particularly difficult. I couldn’t leave it at that so I devised a code based on my nephew’s name and date of birth disguising the actual names. This piece is titled Filfeh, which does not exactly follow the rules of spelling. A few other titles were, Anoa, Nivner, Reima, Anxen, and Frea.
I have attempted to use other codes–Celtic Tree Ogham and the Pigpen Cipher but they haven’t worked with the materials I was using.
Perhaps they will find their way into a series in the future.
How an Idea Occurs–Banned Books
Today when I was reading blog posts I saw this image and was off on a creative journey. The image was posted on Sri Threads, a gallery specializing in Japanese folk textiles.
I have been thinking about weaving or embroidering a family tree of important dates using Morse Code. I have woven some pieces for family gifts, but I want to show the connections between the family members. I originally thought that a large wallpiece using coconut fiber, white cotton rope, sisal, and 1″ fence would be the solution. I hadn’t thought about the possibility of the presentation in the form of a book. I love the intimacy that the book format offers. While the form is quite different, it probably would be better received by my siblings.
Then very quickly I started thinking about words and banned books and my series, Cleanse Your Palate. Cleanse started with my attempt to remove a particular word from my vocabulary. A versatile word that has multiple functions.
In No Regrets, the word is embroidered and affixed to the shot glass with a ring that is also in code. The shot glass is filled with clove soap. Yep, wash your mouth out with soap. Clove because of its history in dentistry and I just happen to love its fragrance.
A couple of things of interest–what happens when a code is used to represent a word with negative connotations; can the word appear beautiful when knotted or woven?
From there I hit on using what some folks believe are objectionable words, phrases, ideas weave them up in code and bind them in a book presentation. The series of course would be titled Banned Books.
House Rabbit Roommates
I have lived with house rabbit roommates nearly all of my adult life. Currently our roommates are Nora an 11 year old and Big Baby who is probably 3 or 4.
We found Nora when we were visiting the Farm Supply. She was all alone in a large feed container. I took a look at her and then noticed there was something wrong with her ear. Gave the Farm Supply money and brought her home.
The problem with her ear was a tattoo. Apparently, for whatever reason after she was tattooed she wasn’t wanted.
Big Baby came to live with us in December of 2009. He was probably two years old then. His name was Bailey, but since that is the family name of my husband’s mother, I felt a name change was in order. It took me a month before I came up with Nathanael, Nate for short.
Unfortunately he answers to Baby, so it stuck. My husband calls him Bruiser. He doesn’t answer to that name even when raisins are offered. Baby is the largest rabbit we have lived with. He isn’t overweight, he is really big.
This is a typical breakfast. They are looking a bit scruffy, not because it is early morning, they are in a major shed.
When you live with house bunnies you might notice that they often aren’t where you think they should be. You might find them sitting on the dining room table, or on your desk or bed, or on a chair…
Important Rabbit Information
House Rabbit Society
Images of Bunnies and Other Bunny Stuff
Disapproving Rabbits
Shopping for Bunny and Bunny Content Items
Oxbow Hay
When is a Piece Done?
I thought that I completed “Preservation and Collection” at the end of 2010. After the work was returned from a show at Western Nevada College, I hung it in my office, above and slightly to the left of my monitor. I specifically hung the piece so that it would loom in the periphery. That it could seep into view when my mind was on another task.
A few days back I realized that the piece made me terribly uncomfortable. It was hung a tad higher than when it was exhibited and didn’t have great lighting, but I couldn’t see what was inside the cups.
I spent loads of time making the cups and the bags filled with poison plant bits. But there was too much distance from the cups to experience the work the way it was intended.
I liked the idea of the 3×3 format–its reference to a nine patch quilt, but the result wasn’t right. I removed the cups and shelf from the wall. I will make new homes for the cups, but I haven’t yet worked out the details. Pretty sure that the cups will be happier hung together, in several separate and open shelves rather than in their original presentation.
Hanging pieces in close proximity was a great lesson I learned from Sharon Tetly. Sharon teaches at Western Nevada College and offered me the exhibition in the College Gallery. My work is rather small and intimate and the space is long and narrow. I was concerned that the work would be lost. Sharon grouped pieces–which I felt emphasized the intimate nature of them wihtout the loss of their autonomy.
Sharon’s presentation of my work offered me a new viewing experience.
The photos were taken by Sharon Tetly.
Might Come In Handy Some Day
I have been accused of being a pack rat. Sure there is a tad of truth to that description. But I should think that most mixed media artists know–collected materials for use “some day” could mean exactly that.
Many of the pieces that I had in a show last year had materials I saved for several years. For example, the pit fired cup was a demo piece from a teaching gig over 10 years ago. The metal bits I snagged when my brother-in-law was clearing out his warehouse of construction materials.
I wanted this cup to appear more goblet-like so I drilled a hole through the bottom to attach a carriage bolt for a stem. The stem has two types of washers that are filling in for the dots and dashes of Morse Code.
The stem has the word “mourning” in code. It is a play on the homophone “morning” as in morning cup of tea. The small bag inside the cup has poison plant bits–not material appropriate for a tea ceremony.
The wood for the sides of the next piece came from an old swing that I rescued from my parents’ burn pile. That was more years ago than I care to remember. The bronze bit on the rosary is a piece of a dried fig that was spin cast in the late 80s. I couldn’t find a home for it until this piece was made. The rosary has “Cleanse Your Palate” and “Forgive Yourself” in code.
The thing that was most fun about constructing this piece was how the cast soap cup came into existence. I made a slew of woven and fiber cups that I meant to cast in bronze. I never managed to get them gated and cast so they were stored away. When I ran across them I realized that I really didn’t want to cast them any longer. So, I made silicone molds for casting soap and sugar pieces.
Rarely do I first glimpse a material or object and know precisely how I will use it. Often materials make it known where they would like to live and with whom.
When I was sorting out the stuff in Dad’s barn, I collected materials to ship home. This is some of what I collected.
The metal drawers have been nicely oxidized from mice living in them.
So many possibilities…