The secret gallery's blog » indigo pigment

Wind records

Marianne Slevin — Sun, 22 Nov 2009 22:27:58 +0000

I made these, well I did not strictly make these, as the wind determined where the drips would land on the cotton. I orchestrated it in a way, by placing sheets of cotton, one at a time under a clothes line while the little hand folded, stitched and painted funnels slowly dripped indigo pigment that was mixed with oil.

So tonight I sewed ten sheets of wind records together to form a kind of book. I love the layers of cotton, it makes me want to climb into the book and go to sleep! Many people fall asleep with a book but how many people fall asleep in a book!

Currently I am trying to make some decisions about how to present and finish this work. Should it be displayed on the floor like an open book, hung from the wall or ceiling or to use the central spine as a large tent pole and open it 360 degrees with lines that you would use for a tent? Sometimes it is hard to make a decision!

This art work was made in 2000 in Doolin where we have returned to live many years later, I feel it is still relevant today, maybe even more so as our climate changes, as I write this there is a gale blowing outside, the “Gallery Closed” sign on the door goes bang bang bang!

Let me light up!

Marianne Slevin — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 16:14:10 +0000

Detail of work on paper in the studio today

Willow Charcoal, indigo pigment and ink on paper Marianne Potterton 2008-2009

Detail of work on paper in the studio today

Compressed charcoal, indigo pigment and ink on paper Marianne Potterton 2008-2009

I am feeling a bit disgruntled today about certain things so I thought I would make some art about it! Things like not being able to smoke in a pub or cafe. I don’t care what they say it has changed things; people don’t go out and talk and and fun like they used to, they stay in and watch television more. Our freedom is slipping away, bit by bit. Life has gotten so serious, so today I say light up, (a candle if you don’t smoke!) lighten up and liven up!

These drawings started off as stone rubbings from the floor of the Secret Gallery, then I saw that it looked a little like the sea and coast line maybe even the Cliffs of Moher.If you look closely you can see a little boat and a tent, James in search of wilderness!

Off to search for pigments and drink mint tea in Marrakech

Marianne Slevin — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 19:31:05 +0000

Just is short blog tonight as we are off of to Marrakech via London tomorrow, cant wait! I wont be writing anything for a week but I hope I will have lots to say and photographs to put up when I come back! I am really looking forward to getting some more indigo pigment and poppy or poppy seed pigment or whatever you would call that lovely deep red colour! I remember the indigo I got there before, it had amazing variations of blues and indigo through it there were even traces of turquoise in it. When I ran out I found some more in Barcelona but is was not so amazing. If anyone knows a good place to get pigments could you please let me know, thank you! Here are some things I made using Indigo Pigment. I also did some time-based word ice melting on a sheet of, you will never guess……indigo pigment!

Indigo Wind dripped records, intervention at the Secret Gallery

Words written in indigo pigment,(twice submerged in the sea, once in Barcelona and once in Fanore Co Clare) the Secret Gallery

Horse Blanket, outer layer wax on cotton painted with Indigo pigment and terracotta earth, the Secret Gallery

Wind intervention at The Secret Gallery and Public Art Work by Maeve Collins

Marianne Slevin — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 14:38:09 +0000

These wind drip drawings were made 8 years ago on this very same clothes-line. Then the sheets of cotton lay on the ground and little paper vessels that I made by stitching old bank statement held the indigo pigment and oil that dripped as the wind blew them dangling from the clothes line. It was a nice circle to hang them from the same clothesline but this time let them be blown by the wind and dance! I loved the sound they made and the meditative feeling you get from watching the repetitive but ever changing motion as the wind blows the wind dripped drawings; a little dance making the invisible visible.

The cotton moving backwards and forwards and the sound it made reminded me of a Public Art Piece that an Artist and Friend of mine Maeve Collins did in the Square in Ennistymon last summer. Maeve hung some real and elegant bed sheets with mirrors attached reflecting what was happening in the space around them, as they moved backwards and forwards on the sheets, while at the same time played recordings of elderly people talking about life on the island, which Maeve recorded while living on Inisheer. It was a lovely piece the Artist sat with her work to talk with anyone who wished to converse beside the meditative wave of the sheets that had been brought into the town. This is just a snippet as there is a lot more to Maeve’s work that I did not mention. As part of this Public Art Work her recordings also sailed over the waves to the Aran Islands and there was a third part to this work, a line holding clocks, umbrellas a dress and musical instruments entered the sea at Liscannor, and the gateway to HiBrasil, an island some people say they have seen. I hope to put up some of the Artist’s images of this poetic art work soon, as I am having a little technical trouble today. So have a look in a few days they are well worth it!

A little thought I had today

If it is not right for you it is not right for the world!