THE CASE OF THE STRUGGLING BRAIN

Vivi-Mari Carpelan: "My Lovely Brain"
Mixed media collage, copyright 2013.

My latest collage was tricky, it took me quite a while to decide how to express the idea of pressure on the brain. The process was quite tentative and experimental. I scanned loads and loads of images to use and ended up using only very few of them. In the end I chose this strange machine that has a sense of mystery and surrealism to it. It conveys the idea of constant pressure on the brain. The image of the brain is really a map, which underlines the idea of "the map rather than the territory" with the sign X all over it to mark the spots. The X's denote the areas that are troubled, which is basically all of it. The sketchy and inaccurate nature of this old map of the brain reflects the way I see my own brain, i.e. without much knowledge of its actual anatomy. I wanted to address the brain as I've been thinking quite a lot about how this solitary organ, that almost appears to be floating in space, has to manage the rest of the body, and ultimately is the one that takes the blow when life is overwhelming, sensory input isn't processed properly, and sleep isn't restorative. The case of "the map rather than the territory" also highlights the fact that although the brain appears to be the organ that's the closest to our sense of self, it's still an object. I don't believe that the seat of consciousness is in the brain as Dr. Dennet would have it. But unlike in the case of problems with most other organs, if we're brain dead or the brain is severely malfunctioning, we're no longer of any use in this realm.

I wanted to try out the use of crackle glaze so that's what constitutes the ground in this image. The portrayal of a landscape was something that I hadn't planned, but just happened as I was going along. I wanted to underline the sense of illness of the brain, so I added the sickly yellow colour at the very end, holding my breath while I was hoping it wouldn't ruin the image. 

At the core is the rose, symbolising what is still beautiful about my brain and cognition in general, as well as the compassion I have for a part of my body that's struggling to cope with sleep deprivation and medication.

Making it all straight and lined up is difficult for me, I do try very hard but somehow there's always some alignment I manage to screw up. I think in my case the imperfections are part of the work and who I am, and shouldn't be seen as shortcomings. It's not easy for me to accept that there's always something not quite right, but on the other hand imperfection is part of being human and therefore has a place in  the grand scheme of things. Everything these days tends towards the glossy, highly perfected and sanitized... I really want to stay out of that myself. So therefore I continue to try and work by hand, as long as I can. Ultimately, because I'm not able-bodied, my abilities will never be perfect. Human imperfection is something that those who represent the norms of society need to tackle. I speak for everyone out there who has had to concede that they are disabled in comparison with most people who are able to participate actively in society. Not until society embraces its disabled organs, can it become whole.

I have one more image about invisbile illness in mind. After that I think I probably want to change gear and work on a slightly different note. At some point I just have to concede that I have enough images about difficulties and now is the time to look for answers. There is, of course, no guarantee that I can think of solutions in this regard. I mean that expressing solutions to the questions and problems raised through Project X simply may not be possible. We shall see.

One more thing... I few weeks ago I hastily applied for a year long residency for disabled artists at a University just before the deadline. It really was a bit of a tester, and I didn't really expect to get it. I tried not to worry about it too much. I didn't even have time to consider whether I would be able to do such a thing or not. It would have involved spending two days a week on location. In retrospect, I think it's something I might have been able to do, because there was quite a lot of money involved that would have made it possible for me to make it all quite comfortable for myself (easy train rides, nice stays overnight and so on). Getting out there would have picked me up quite a bit. But competition is fierce and some people just know how to apply. They also have track records. Whether their art is really interesting and meaningful is questionable - I don't mean to say it isn't, just that I would probably think very differently from the way the judges view these things. My kind of art still seems to fall outside of neat categories. 

In spite of my intention not to care, the rejection made me feel very discouraged and prepared to give up art, I cried a bit, and then got over it. Recently, I have been thinking about how I could use my own disheartening experiences to help others like me... if I had the resources. It's interesting to ponder, what group of people I would like to support because no one else does, or you end up in a peer group that isn't quite right for you.

EVENTUALLY, IT WILL ALL BE IN YOUR MIND, TOO

Vivi-Mari Carpelan: "Elsewhere, and the Stars Above",
handmade mixed media collage
copyright 2013

After a lot of video editing, I decided I should try and work with some physical media again. I didn't have any specific idea but this is what I came up with this time. Encouraged by the fact that Outside In has invited two of my "Project X" pieces (and very blatant they are too!) to Outside In West in Somerset House, Taunton (July-September), I have decided to try and persevere with Project X and the ideas surrounding invisible illness and fatigue in particular.

You may not have "real" mental issues, and your illness may not be "all in the head", but sooner or later, the issues with a chronically decripit body will get to your psyche. This image is meant to describe the sense that life goes on somewhere else, while the disabled person is a prisoner in a decripit body that they feel less than proud of. And of course, it's not just about what the body looks like (personally, I'm a master of camouflage), but what it feels like to the person in question. The old suite is the emblem of poor body image - can you guess what it originally was? As usual in my art, wallpaper  signifies the idea of covering something up. Red stands for blood (life, energy) and stars for hope and dreams... and where the seat of the life force should be, there's a black hole.

A STRAIGHTFORWARD COLLAGE ABOUT DISILLUSIONMENT AND INDIFFERENCE

Vivi-Mari Carpelan: "Your Indifference is Breaking my Heart", 55x38 cm, copyright 2012

This is my latest handmade collage for "Project X". In this one, I have as usual used a photo of myself. The background consists of pages from a book from about 1900 of poetry in the English language, it's a section of poetry that is "didactic and moral". Basically it's a lot of high flown, flowery words without much sincerity, the typical moralist "pointing fingers" in very explicit ways that was common in poetry of the 19th and 18th C - it's trying to teach us something about life, often in a rather self-righteous and shallow way. Yet it is still echoed in the way many people talk today when they try and advice you about how you should lead your life. It's easy to tell others how they should live but much harder to act accordingly. This is one of the basic truths about the human condition. It's typical that those who pretend to be spiritually minded in some way give themselves away by babbling too much. I think a certain reticence and control over the faculty of speech can be the sign of a greater spiritual mind. 

I wanted this image to be a direct confrontation with the viewer. It's you and me - alright? This is personal. I thought we were supposed to be in the same boat? Why are you indifferent? I want to know. Why have you closed off and decided that you don't need to be empathic and interested in people who are the so-called weaker members of society and that they should just pull themselves together? Why are you not helping to instigate laws that make us all truly equal in the deepest possible sense, where anyone who isn't out there with the intent of hurting others should be treated with respect and seen as a person worthy of a dignified life regardless of their ability to "contribute" to society? All of you out there, who don't notice my struggle to survive within the frame of this society, or care about anyone else in a similar, marginalized situation - you all break my heart. 

“This is personal. It's about you and me. Look me in the eye and tell me you really don't care that I'm not as able bodied as yourself. Look me in the eye and stop giving me all that moral bullshit about taking responsibility for my own health. I am. You have no idea to which degree I'm struggling to manage. But I can't do it alone. I can't do it without your help. Ultimately, society is the cause of my condition. You didn't realise that, did you? We're all in it together, whether you like it or not. Please, can't you see that? Your indifference is breaking my heart.”

NEW WORK UNDER WAY...

"Don't you even think about putting me down!!"

The open studios are now closed... I have to say the last weekend was a bit of an anti climax and our press release (which really we shouldn't have had to make ourselves) appeared in the local paper one day before we closed... Some people have thought the PR was poor. Some people also came to us complaining that other artists and galleries that were supposed to be open weren't. That's pretty bad for us! I can understand people are upset when they have to drive far into the hills on tiny country roads...

The good news is that our work is well on its way. Martin's second drawing for the illustration project soon to be revealed didn't quite work out. I told him upfront that I didn't think it was good enough... after some initial irritation he agreed and started again. I think for that kind of project you can't expect to get it right right away - free drawing, requires so much practice. How many times I have also abandoned work in the middle, it hurts but it's sometimes necessary. So here are some shots of the work situation in my studio....

I tend to end up on the floor... especially when the work is big like this

However, what you don't see is me lying flat on my stomach trying to draw a pylon, moaning loudly in the process. My back muscles just won't take any such drawing practice. The big figure is bad enough... not to mention the clouds. The physical challenges are quite depressing but I try and find ways around the problems. It's going to be - I hope - quite a hefty collage about problems with society, featuring among other things this striking military chopter which was free on the internet... Though I'm a girl I can't help thinking it's quite cool as an object, but it's probably laden with missiles... Why doesn't it surprise me a war related picture like this is free wall paper!

Martin has started drawing:

This piece is about order and chaos as exemplified by the golden mean and the tendency of our reality towards entropy (the skull)... This is not part of his actual book project but something he has in mind and is practising on in order to get into the habit of drawing every day. You can buy it, please see his blog.

HOW TO MAKE COLLAGES

I was asked to explain what you should think of when you make collages. I will only talk about the traditional paper based collages (possibly with the odd 3D object here and there), and assume that the reader wants to make serious art work. Some of the definitions of collage that come up on the internet are "An artistic composition of materials and objects pasted over a surface, often with unifying lines and colour" and "A form of art in which various materials such as photographs and pieces of paper or fabric are arranged and stuck to a backing".

First of all, I would like to make a distinction between different kinds of collages the way I understand it. Firstly, you have collages comprised of ephemera which you find in every day life. These could be bus tickets, theatre tickets, old letters, old cheques... My collage "Ephemeral Ways" has many such documents that I collected in a derelict house in Kansas. In it you also find old photographs, old wallpaper, and a photo of a graveyard that I took in the same area. I have used acrylics and crayons on top of these.

"Ephemearal Ways", copyright 2008

You need to be aware of the copy right of pictures you might want to use. The collage above will have no issues of copy right because the photo is my own, and the rest of the material are things so old that no one will even remember they existed. There are different rules of copy right depending on the country you live in, but generally speaking you shouldn't use images until 70 years after the death of the author! You should always keep in mind that you could be sued for using someone else's property.You really need to use common sense a lot of the time. As there are photos of the past that belonged to advertising companies and it is very unlikely that anyone will remember them. 

Another type of collage uses modern magazine cuts, and seems to be the most common. Generally speaking people seem to get away with using such images, but technically speaking they do belong to someone and you could get in trouble for using them. There is a common misunderstanding that it's alright to use less than 25 % of an image... this is not true. If you do want to use someone else's photo, please make sure you disguise it well! While I personally do not want to walk down this alley to any great extent, I do sometimes take calculated risks. Since I acquired a colour laser printer I try and integrate more of my own photos into my artwork. This is a piece that I made using photos of myself, either taken by my mother or my husband (in which case they have agreed to grant me copy right). I ended up having problems working the photos by hand because the paper and laser ink is quite glossy. I need to look for better paper.

Use the excellent Finnish Fiskars sewing scissors for a neat cut!

At the top of this image you see a woman flying/lying in the sky; she is an old engraving from a book with copy right free images. Jim Harter, a friend of mine, started to collect these kind of images back in the 1970s and Dover has published a great number of collections on different themes. You will find a wealth of images that you can use freely. The only thing is that you have to like the way the look! For me personally, they represent something nostalgic and very beautiful that I enjoy incorporating into my work... I used to go to the University and copy the books for very little money. Nowadays I scan them (or use CD's that come with the newer books), then working them in a photo editing program such as Photoshop.

I have changed the hair so that it is flying in the wind

I increase contrast, play around with sizes and may even change a detail here and there. I then print them out on good quality laser paper. The problem with some papers is that they are very glossy and not so easy to deal with later if you want to add colour and other effects by hand. On the other hand the paper may be too thin and fragile, and impossible to work with as it will tear too easily. You need to think about this and try what works best for you. 

"Loose Promises", copyright 2008

Nowadays many people prefer to do digital collages, in which case all the imagery is assembled in the computer and no scissors or glues are involved! I don't personally want to do this, as I want to retain a maximum of my own personality in my collaged images as well as incorporate hand drawn elements. I want my art work to have that extra dimension of a craft done by hand. I feel that because I spend a lot of time by the computer, I should also do something with my hands. 

We now get to the final version of collages, which I call mixed media collages. These incorporate a wide variety of other elements and often involve so many different techniques that they might as well be called just "mixed media". While some of my collages have only very few hand drawn elements (the collage above only has a hand painted background, a hand drawn heart, clouds and some colour added to the copy right free images), some collages are more complex. The one below incorporates copy right free engravings, a border made out of magazine cuts, a hand drawn figure, hair made out of some photographed grass found in a magazine, hand drawn honey, hand drawn pills, an old letter, scraps and a couple of images found in a book.

"Grazing A Maze", copyright 2006
(Formerly "The Alchemy of Nutrition")

There are various decorative papers for sale that you can use freely, you can get them in hobby shops (they are mostly meant for scrap booking or for decoupage, the art of decorating objects with images). There are also images online that are free to use. I use gift wrap as well, I don't think you need to worry too much about copy right in this case.

"The Melancholy of Ambivalence", copyright 2008
This collage contains a lot of giftwrap
as well as images from sheets that were intended for decoupage.

The very basics of the technique of collaging is knowing how various media mix and how papers react to the products you want to use. For instance, magazine cuts are usually made of very thin paper that may react very badly to wet glue. You need to spread the watered down glue very thinly and be very careful when you apply it to your background. I usually spread out the glue with my fingers, but intricate or large images I hold down to a piece of paper used for this purpose only, spread glue onto the back and then spread it out with a wet brush. You also need to think about what kind of background you want to use. Only use good quality, acid free paper. There are nowadays papers meant for mixed media, for instance one made of bamboo. If you wish to colour this paper in some way, it may be a good idea to wet it thoroughly first, much as you would when working with water colours. This way it will not buckle too much. It will also ensure against further reactions to glues and other media. Remember that some papers will deteriorate with age. If you want for your collage to last, you need to be using good quality papers all around, and varnish the images afterwards.

I started off by painting he ground and the background for the clouds
with Ecoline inks. They say these inks are not very durable.
I have always used them and as long as I keep my artwork out of the sun
(as you should)
they seem to be alright.

The ABC of collaging is that you have to be very careful not to apply water based products on top of oil based products. 

I do use PVA glue a lot, but nowadays commonly used for collaging is actually Matt Gel Medium. This is normally added to acrylics to change their consistency, but doubles as a glue and a varnish. It is one of the few products that have a matt finish. It will make it look as if you haven't glued anything at all! You can also "mend" spots with PVA glue where you don't want it to show by using this on top. The good thing about this varnish is that on top of it, you can draw with crayons Just be careful when you use it as a varnish as a thick layer will make the image look milky. This actually goes for all commercial varnishes. It's always best to test a product properly before risking a finished collage! I have been using spray varnishes as a finishing touch just to make the collage more durable, but I am not always pleased with the effect it has on some surfaces. Some spirit based varnishes can ruin your paper, so be careful!

Now one of the very great problems you will encounter if you use different media is gluing pictures on top of a background that contains oil (for instance wax or oil crayon), as well as applying a water based varnish on this kind of surface. There is a great solution for this problem, and it is Shellac. This is a traditional varnish originally meant for furniture (usually in the form of French Polish). You can buy Shellac flakes in shops that sell ecological paints. It comes in a variety of shades, from dark brown to light yellow. You need to soak the flakes in methylated spirit for a while. Alternatively, you can buy it ready made. Soak the used brush in methylated spirit to clean. The brown mixture will obviously give your collage a darker tint, while the lighter one will not show so much. This is a good way of making your collage look older. Shellac sticks to almost any surface. Only make sure the surface is really dry when you apply it. It may be difficult to draw on top of it, but paints such as ordinary acrylics will stick to it. While I'm not so keen on synthetic products such as acrylic paints, I find they make life easier and for the moment I prefer it that way. You can also use acrylics as a background as PVA glue will stick to it without problem (they are both similar products). You can of course attempt to be 100 % ecological and use only traditional or hand made products. In this case you need a book about making natural paints. There are many old methods meant for interior decoration that can be used in mixed media art work. My inspiration came in fact from the art of decoupage.

Making intricate collages is as you can see not an easy affair. You have to be very focused, as small mistakes in composition when you glue down your pictures, and carelessness regarding the products you use, can ruin your efforts altogether. I make lots of mistakes as I am not always able to be focused enough. I often find myself desperately repairing them. Well, the good news is that it's not always visible to other people!

When it comes to composition, in my case it's mostly intuitive. It's a good idea to lay the images out first and think how you want to combine them. There is no easy advice to give, you just have to try it out and see what approach works best for you. Try and make the images overlap as little as possible, as this will not look very neat. The thinner the paper, the better the images will mix and look seamless. Of course, you may have a "rough" style that requires a different approach. If possible, glue the thinner papers first and the thicker ones on top. You can also tear the edges so they will blend better as the edges won't be sharp. Among the different media I use are coloured inks, watercolour crayons, and the American Prisma pens that have a fantastic consistency and finish (they are quite greasy). Luckily you can now buy them online within Europe. I like precision, so I don't use pastels a lot. I just purchased some Sennellier pastels to try though, as they looked very pleasing. In general, the Sennelier products are fabulous. Their inks are interesting as they contain some Shellac!

Acrylic paint, Sennelier inks, Prisma crayons...

The finished collage "In Search of Herself", copyright 2011.
The background is made using a secret ingredient...
The ground is made using Ecoline inks and black crayon.
The Tree and clouds are made using Prisma crayons.
The meteorites are made using Sennelier ink and white Prisma crayon.
The border is assembled of a copy right free Celtic pattern -
sadly I didn't find quite what I was looking for.
The figures are photos of myself, made sepia in Photoshop
 and also resized to create a sense of perspective.
All in all I am not 100 % happy with the result,
 as I had trouble with the paper I printed the figures on.
Perhaps I will still give it another go... sometime.

Does it all seem terribly complicated? Don't worry, start in a simple way and the learn more as you go... Don't feel overwhelmed by it all, just enjoy the process. Only remember that the copy right issues are important if you want to sell or exhibit your work in public. Otherwise just go for good quality magazines like I did in the beginning... 


Good online shops in the UK are Great Art and Art Discount.

Read more about my artistic process on my website.
A good source of inspiration are the collage groups on Flickr. Here are a few:


ALL COLLAGES
COLLAGE CRAZY
SOCIAL AND POLITICAL COLLAGES... ETC

COLLAGE VINTAGE ART
I MAKE COLLAGES
PAPER COLLAGE ONLY
SCRAPPINDIPITY
NOTPAPER (There is a BLOG in connection to this group which features interviews with collage artists - in 2008 I was featured here)


RETROCOLLAGE (a website by Eric Edhelmann)


Check out this book on contemporary collages by Robert Klanten and look for more e.g. on Amazon:

POWYS ARTS MONTH AND OUR CONTRIBUTION (EXHIBITIONS, OPEN STUDIO)

This is the Llandrindod Wells Museum
 where part of the exhibition is on show

Both Martin and I had artwork accepted to the Arts Engine Open Art Exhibition for artists of the county of Powys at Llandrindod Wells, unfortunately we didn't realize you could enter three pieces for the entering fee of £ 12 (which was quite a lot for the two of us). Oh well, at least we were there and had an enjoyable evening. The general standard wasn't as high as it was at the national open exhibition at Machynlleth where we just picked up our works from. However, our work were well hung for once, in a really good place with good lighting. It's also an opportunity to sell cards, it's great! There is also a catalogue about the artists and their statements.

I talked a bit to one of the artists, John Wragg, who does translucent sculpture with lines that indicate a strange perspective or optical illusion. He was upset that the piece (Fourth Commandment) was not placed so that the translucency and the lines were more evident. I said to him that in passing his piece I was dead scared to spill wine on it! It was placed so low. It's a shame when these things occur because of lack of a bit more consideration from the curators.

My small mixed media collage "Where There is Hope - There is Life"
 is hanging to the left of Martin's large oil painting
"Give Me the Head of John the Baptist" in the middle. 

OPEN STUDIO!

Our (Martin Herbert and Vivi-Mari Carpelan) studios will be open during the Powys Arts Month in October 2011, please see catalogue for details. A lot of art will also be on show on the walls of the house and older art at greatly reduced prices in a browser. You will probably be seeing us working on our current projects (drawing and collaging). Tea and applecake (from a recipe from the Finnish archipelago) will be available. The address is 14 Shortbridge Street, in the centre of Llanidloes down the road from the old  market hall. Our house is open roughly three prolonged weekends in the afternoon in October.


Read more on Martin's blog!

My studio - please see previous blog entry for more photos

Our walls are full of artwork for the visitors too see

We will be working on our art projects