peter: June 2008 Archives

Q.  How did you come to be an artist in Michigan?
A.  Well, I went to grad school at Michigan State - started an MFA in painting, wound up getting it in sculpture - fell in love with Michigan and with a plastic-recycler named Karl from Alpena and settled in Saline.  I grew up on a farm, so the small community with farming roots, a 24-hour grocery store, a good hardware store and a good coffee shop, not to mention creative art framers, suited me.

Q.  So, this "Fortunes" thing, this "installation" piece of art, what is an installation and how did this come about?
A.  Let me start with installation.  An installation is a piece of art that the viewer can be a part of, generally.  For instance, you can walk around, in and between the pieces in this sculpture, you can handle it with the archival gloves provided and, essentially, be a part of the space this piece inhabits.  Usually, installation changes your perception of the space in which it is installed.  This piece can change your perceptions of a lot of things.  For example, if you know me, you might say, "Yeah, that Val can be a thinker and a bit too serious, but she's also got a goofy, irreverent side that is quick to laugh and make fun of herself."  And if you know me, you might see more of the goofy, irreverent side.  So this piece could take you by surprise and change your perception of me and my thought and art-making process.
The piece came about from my "day job" - when I started work on it, I was home-schooling my kids, being a mom and artist.  I was thinking about how my kids, myself and everyone I know were all born into situations beyond our control.  And about how, at some point, we gain consciousness about our situations - if the situation is good or bad.  At that point we can realize we have a choice - it's not always clear or good vs. bad.  Sometimes it is bad vs. less bad.  And sometimes the only thing we can change is our own perception or attitude.  But it's at least something  we have control over.

Q.  Have you always wanted to be an artist?
A.  Pretty much - except for the period in high school when I was spending a lot of time riding bikes and thought I might be the first woman to win the Tour de France - then I discovered painting and drawing seriously and never looked back, except when I was sharing the road with cars.

Q.  How long have you been making art?
A.  Well, I've been studying art seriously since high school - I had a great teacher in junior high and another in high school who just made it a lot of fun, while also getting students to take it seriously.  Then, my mom took me to extra Saturday classes at Purdue, which was about 25 miles from us and I had a great teacher there.  I got a portfolio scholarship to University of Illinois, where I had a lot of great instructors, as well, and a good group of students surrounding me - we all challenged each other in such a positive way.  So I guess that's about 27 years now.  Let me just say this, I couldn't drive myself to Purdue when I started taking those classes!

Q.  So, is sewing on vintage baby gowns an art form?  Or what made you decide on this technique for expressing your ideas?
A.  Ha, Ha!  I learned to sew when I was about 7.  I drove my mom crazy because I always wanted to do something - learn something.  So she signed me up for 4-H as early as she could, taught me to sew, got a friend to help me when I passed her knowledge zone and I sewed all my prom dresses!  Fortunately, I control all surviving photos of this era. However,  I decided to embroider on the vintage baby dresses for a few reasons.  The baby dresses have this gossamer, dream-like quality, especially hung like they are in the gallery, and when a breeze catches them.  I sewed the words on them in red, because I have had some fortune cookies with red fortunes printed on the paper, and it caught my eye.  Red is such a nice color and can carry some important weight with it.  I chose to sew some of the fortunes in cursive, some in print because at different stages of development in our lives, we relate with different methods of writing.  The words and actions/inactions of grown-ups have such a huge effect on the kids around us.  I think we underestimate that so often.  The red embroidery floss against the vintage fabric carries the sometimes heavy messages with some grace.

Q.   Where did you get all the vintage baby gowns?
A.  Well, I like antique shopping and have found many at antique shops around the Midwest.  My kids are on a mission for me when we stop at an antique store.  I remember when we went to the Monroe County Historical Museum and  George Custer's baby gown was on display.  My son said, "What?  You mean Custer wore a dress?"  It was a great teachable moment to say, "Yeah, all babies wore gowns back then and into the 20th century."  Many people don't realize that.  When I find a gown with blue details on it, I snatch it up, because the "Fortunes" pieces apply to men and women alike, and I want to make that point more obvious, in light of the "dresses".  Some of them are actually slips.  A couple are wool.  Can you imagine putting that thing on your kid???  I love how they are all different - all have special details put on them by the hand of someone in that child's life.  Some are made from flour sacks, some from pillow cases.  Some have several repairs, some are quite ornate.  I wonder, "Who made this?  How many different children wore this?"

Q.  So, I can understand why someone would put a dress on their baby that says, " You will be cherished by many people." , but why would someone put one on their child that says, "You will be taught to hate people who are different from you."  ?
A.  Exactly.  You wouldn't.  So why do we continue to teach such things to the next generations, either through our actions or inactions - our tolerance of such things in our society.  The piece asks more questions than it answers, which, I think, is important, because we are all going to have to answer the questions or solve the problems on an individual basis, anyway.

Q.  Who would buy something like this for their house?
A.  Well, it's meant more to be something that a collector would buy, or a museum.  I recognize that it is difficult to dedicate space in our day-to-day lives/homes for an installation piece.  That's why I made collagraphs and lino-cut prints to go with it - companion prints, I'm calling them.  They're much easier to own!   Some of the prints have a bit of collage on the paper under the prints and the lino-cuts have chine-colle, which is a form of collage in print-making.  The hand-pulled prints only have the positive fortunes!  Some are framed and ready to go and some are just matted ready for the art collector to frame it as they like.

Q.  What artists do you admire?
A.  First of all, we have so many unbelievable artists in Michigan who make seriously great work.  I'm fortunate enough to be a part of the WSG Gallery on Main St. downtown Ann Arbor and all of the artists there are people I've admired for a long time.  Martha Keller is just about the coolest and her paintings could smack down anyone in New York.  Bruce Thayer and Ilene Curts of Mason, MI make top-notch prints and paintings, respectively.  And Ken Thompson of Flatlanders kicks it out, when it comes to sculpture.  Also, Tyree Guyton of Detroit has done some pretty awesome stuff.  Outside of Michigan, I'd have to say Deborah Butterfield, Anish Kapoor, John Singer Sargent, Ursula Von Rydingsvard, Leslie Dill, Alexander Calder, Andy Goldsworthy, Stan Herd and so many more people who are making or have made art in their lives just fill me up.

Q.  What are you reading now?
A.  I'm reading "The Tao of Parenting" - the best parenting book I've read to date, and I've read a lot!  I'm slugging through "Pioneers of Modern Design", looking at the pictures in "Louise Nevelson" and perusing "The Sculpture Techniques Bible".

Beginning Monday July 21 and running through the month of August we will be showing 'Travel Near and Far' a photography exhibit by travel writer-photographer Gerry Volgenau. An opening reception for this show will be on Friday August 1 from 6-8pm.

'Luminous Landscapes' a collection of dream-like oil paintings by Jan Ruvido Stebbins will be in The Side Door Gallery from August 8 - September 13. An opening reception for this show will be held on Friday August 22 from 6-8pm.

Recent works by John Copley will be featured at The Side Door Gallery from September 15th through October 31.

 The Dexter senior art show continues its run at the Side Door Gallery thru this weekend. Jessica Sowers, Nathan Magyar, Kaitlin Herring, Meghan Bunn, Georgina, Erin Donevan, Leah Gibson, Ryan Aliapoulios, Marcia Grace, Erin Kasenow, Nora Green and Jaimie Bougham all have work on display. We'd also like to thank Art Advocates members Anne Donevan who helped to organize this show and Mary Kumbier who was kind enough to take photos of the show.