Ink Tendencies. Book, epoxy, acrylic, glue, pen, India ink, printer paper (50"x45"x4").
I cut through the cover of an old book, hollowed out a depression using a woodcutting tool, and sealed the depression with epoxy. I then poured the "ink," created by adding India ink to Elmer's glue, into the center of the depression and let it drip out and dry.
Eliza Mutino
ReplyDeleteThough entropy, the eventual nature of all matter to evolve into a state of inert uniformity might lend itself to being best represented by a closed composition, this work beautifully conveys this evolution through a messy, uncontained spread on the ground. The form and line quality of the paper arrangement is excellent, transitioning endlessly between straight and curved lines, and flat and crumpled pieces, thus creating a kind of continuity that contributes to the unity of the piece. The repetition of 8 ½ x 11 sheets of paper and their relatively equal proximity to one another also contributes to this unity.
The piece also displays an outstanding degree of craftsmanship and attention to detail. The effect of mixing the right proportions of India ink and Elmer’s glue is highly effective in conveying the look of freshly spilled ink and in drawing your attention to the piece. In terms of color scheme, the white paper, black writing and black ink form a strong contrast, while the richly colored green book adds helps soften and simultaneously liven up the piece.
Finally, the arrangement seems highly deliberate and the end result is gripping and ripe for exploration. The representative nature of the piece, and the purposefully chosen passages featured on each sheet of paper are potentially very engaging for the viewer. Additionally, the ink pouring heavily from the book can be extended very powerfully to the idea of devouring literature, with the ink within the book dying to be furthered by being read, mulled over, and transmitted via ink on paper in a new context. Ultimately, I think the artist’s view of entropy is very well represented in this piece.