"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.
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. ------
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