Monday, April 16, 2018

above - art installation


"Above," installation by Karl Marxhausen, on CES campus, Miss Jan's art room, Carrollton, Missouri. First addition, week 1. Yarn, tissue paper, buttons, colored string, beads, and pliable netting.

A large red button becomes the weight and the circle at the end of a ribbon line.




Taut yarn strand tethers the edge of the netting to the ceiling.



Delicate embellishments dangling in the air. Colored beads, knotted on a strand of plastic.


A single yellow line woven across the top that bends and goes down.

A bright neon pink cord woven bowtie shape.

The dangles just out of reach. Or to be ignored, to resist batting it, and give the art its own space, at your eye level.



One minute span of the ceiling from one end to the other. ----------

I proposed the installation idea to the art teacher, my wife, Jan Marxhausen. Using the materials the Lord provided, that is, hay bale netting I found rolled up along the road to Bosworth. Then, carefully untangling the long roll, taking out snagged sticks, and soggy hay strands.

Up and down on ladder to secure the ceiling ties. Stretching and twisting it to create a spiral shape above the tables below. Lightweight materials. Three separate sections. 8 x 4 feet. 10 x 4 feet. 6 x 3 feet. 




2nd additions were made during the third week. Tissue paper squares seemed suspended in the air thanks to the transparency of the netting. More pink cord looped and knotted along one edge up high. 



 

Three minutes. During my additions, the installation of the construction paper butterflies were going up in the outside hallway. Students were not present in the class room.


The strength of mylar band knotted at the edge of the netting. Wire wrapped around the band and knotted. Glued tissue accents in the air -- floating. That was excellent.



Over the weekend of the fifth week the 3rd addition was made. I love the materials Miss Jan keeps in her closet. A bag of metallic mylar streamers caught my eye. Air filled bag gave volume to the crinkly wrapping. 


It looks solid and heavy, but it is light weight on purpose. Anything heavy would pull down the structure. The elongated shape was tried in different places without success. At last while standing on the table I was able to place it way up high and used the wires to secure it to yarn tethers. I was very happy with its precarious position. Secured, yet mysterious presence. 




 
---- One minute. ------









Saturday, April 14, 2018

butterfly - installation at CES

With the netting installation still stretched high above her art students, my wife shared a power point of a variety of art styles last week. She shared the installation Carlos Amorles created for The Phoenix Art Gallery. Where that artist covered the gallery walls with swirling swarms of paper butterflies. Twenty-five thousand to be exact. Cut out from black construction paper.


Three minute video. "Black Cloud" by Carlos Amorales, at the Phoenix Art Gallery


During the course of the work week, as she met with her art students, second through sixth grade, Mrs. Marxhausen showed them the butterfly templates she had cut out. She gave them ideas how they might decorate them. Then, each class got busy cutting and crayon coloring their creations from the construction paper at their table.


On Monday and Tuesday I began installing the box of finished student butterflies. Crayon and marker on backgrounds of yellow, light green, purple, red, orange, and black papers.



Three minutes. Paper cut butterflies on exit sign, on walls and ceiling to immerse the viewer in a cloud of butterflies. Installed by the art teacher's husband, Karl Marxhausen.


 

Two minutes. Butterflies were put higher than netting installation in the Art Room. A long pole, my height, and tape helped me attach class-made construction paper butterflies to the ceiling.


Butterflies were placed at the edge of the teacher's desk, along the top edge of the dry erase board, on the side of the room clock, and on the side of the disinfectant dispenser.










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Monday, April 9, 2018

my life wrapped up in 2 dimensions


Mulberry Beach
Acrylic on canvas,  2012
Shane and Peter Dolch, Chappaque, New York








Lemteyoso, First Assemblage
Mixed media on burlap, 2014
Amanda Ignot, Carrollton, Missouri









A Thinking Reed's Response 
Acrylic, sand, cardboard on panel, 2003
part of core series 
Frank Raasch, Norborne, Missouri













Figure In Light
Acrylic on panel, 2002
Gaylyn Alexander, Carrollton, Missouri










Bellingham, Washington Bay
Acrylic on canvas, 2004 
Rose and Mike Fozen, Carrollton, Missouri









Collage #4
Mixed media on panel, 1998
Nick Albrecht, Norborne, Missouri








Two minutes

 

Airstrike: God's Love Breaks Me Apart
Acrylic, metal, asphalt, glitter on panel, 1998
part of core series 
Amanda Ignot, Carrollton, Missouri









Missouri River, West of Floyd Levee
Acrylic on watercolor paper, 2010
Jo and Ben Marxhausen, Lincoln, Nebraska








Playskool (Rein and Karl)
Acrylic on panel,  2007
Sid Kamprath, Seward, Nebraska
 

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