Debra Disman

Artist

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Marbling Unfurled: Making Marbled Scrolls at the Granada Hills Library

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It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

In honor of Asian/Pacific American Heritage Month, I led a workshop for all on how to marble paper, create scrolls and put these two forms together into one of the oldest book structures extant.


Scrollwork made by an adult artist at a UCLA-Fowler Museum program and generously gifted to me, and which I often use as a sample/model to inspire students.


We begin by floating specially formulated inks on the surface of a tub of water. The ink colors can be gently moved around to create designs. Papers are then carefully lowered onto the surface of the “inked” water, and pick up the designs, like a monoprint!


The marbled papers are lifted out of the tub, placed on and under and blotted with paper towels, which absorb excess water and help with the drying process.


The results can be delicate pastel,


or stronger colors and patterns, depending on the colors and handling of the inks.


While their marbled papers were drying, participants chose bright tagboard papers for their scrolls and added wooden dowels at the vertical top and bottom of the pieces. They then added their marbled papers and a myriad of other materials!


We used both glue sticks and tacky glue, depending on the weight of the materials added.


The results were resplendent, with the softer strength marbled papers contrasting with gold ribbon and more.


Intergenerational attendance enriched the experience, as participants of all ages engaged their creativity and learned new skills in the process.


Whole families joined us, even with very young attendees! Hopefully, these young parents of two got a break.


Attendees young and old loved adding two and three-dimensional stickers,


washi tape, ribbon and string,


putting them all together in imaginative and innovative ways to create singular scrollworks.


This says it all. The Library belongs to Everyone!

Tunnel Vision

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It was fantastic to teach a workshop on Tunnel Books for families, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art.

The Tunnel Book is comprised of two accordion spines, or “sides”, connected by a “backdrop” and “cross pieces” or frames attached to the accordion folds working from the back fold and moving forward in space.
The mise-en-scène is then created through the addition of images/shapes/materials attached to the crosspieces and creating actual depth of space between them.

Students of all ages employed tremendous imagination and creativity as they “tunneled through” the process of making, adding pop-ups, folds, “doors” and even a “floor” to their works.


The work of our hands…


Tunnel Book “doors” employ illusionistic effects as the image transforms when they are opened.


Heart “balloons” floating up into the “sky”…


A work depicting the perfect day…with drawings of the Calder works in the Directors Roundtable Garden in front…


The artist wants the viewer to finish the sentence!


Happiness, happiness…


One really feels like one is entering a theatrical space here…


This young maker worked very hard to design this piece so that the images moving back in space made sense on all fronts…BRAVO!


And what is inside this book? The structure in front of it is a home for the five-year-old maker’s new pet ladybug!


ROAR!

Art, Theatre, Life and Literature… come together, at our beloved LACMA!

FORMATION at UCLA: The Artists (4)

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“FORMATION”: The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 Traveling Juried Exhibition is currently showing at UCLA!

University of California, Los Angeles
Charles E. Young Research Library Lobby Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
March 15–May 25, 2019

“Simply defined by Merriam Webster as “an act of giving form or shape to something,” ‘formation‘ can insinuate process, history, creation, change, beginnings, an arrangement, botany and landscape, personal narratives and impersonal storytelling. As artists, designers and craftspeople with our own histories that form us, we also play a vital role in the formation of objects and experiences; pulp molded into paper, paper folded into books, books shelved into a library.

What is the final product, if not for the methods used to create it? What makes us into the artists we are? What pushes us to continue to create?” –FORMATION

I am extremely honored to have two pieces in FORMATION, The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 traveling juried exhibition, with a theme evoking a wide array of interpretations.

In this post, I share my contribution, “Hang Out”, and “Black Hang Out” to the show.

I leave it to you to interpret the titles. One knowledgable artist upon seeing my work asked  if it was “Hedi Kyle meets Eva Hesse?” She may be right. Hedi and Eva, born 1937 and 1936 respectively, in Germany, with vastly different life trajectories., both unforgettable and profoundly impactful during their time, and for future generations. It is a fascinating supposition, and bravo, Karen Schiff for the insight and intuition.

Thank you for taking a look, and please check back soon as I share the work of many other talented artists who grace this Show!

 

 

FORMATION at UCLA: The Artists (3)

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“FORMATION”: The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 Traveling Juried Exhibition is currently showing at UCLA!

University of California, Los Angeles
Charles E. Young Research Library Lobby Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
March 15–May 25, 2019

I am extremely honored to have two pieces in FORMATION, The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 traveling juried exhibition, with a theme evoking a wide array of interpretations. However, in this series of posts, I will highlight an array of the talented artists participating in the show. What wonderful company to be in!

“Simply defined by Merriam Webster as “an act of giving form or shape to something,” ‘formation‘ can insinuate process, history, creation, change, beginnings, an arrangement, botany and landscape, personal narratives and impersonal storytelling. As artists, designers and craftspeople with our own histories that form us, we also play a vital role in the formation of objects and experiences; pulp molded into paper, paper folded into books, books shelved into a library.

What is the final product, if not for the methods used to create it? What makes us into the artists we are? What pushes us to continue to create?” –FORMATION

 

More to come!

FORMATION at UCLA: The Artists (2)

By

“FORMATION”: The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 Traveling Juried Exhibition is currently showing at UCLA!

University of California, Los Angeles
Charles E. Young Research Library Lobby Gallery
Los Angeles, CA
March 15–May 25, 2019

I am extremely honored to have two pieces in FORMATION, The Guild of Book Workers 2018-2019 traveling juried exhibition, with a theme evoking a wide array of interpretations. However, in this series of posts, I will highlight an array of the talented artists participating in the show. What wonderful company to be in!

“Simply defined by Merriam Webster as “an act of giving form or shape to something,” ‘formation‘ can insinuate process, history, creation, change, beginnings, an arrangement, botany and landscape, personal narratives and impersonal storytelling. As artists, designers and craftspeople with our own histories that form us, we also play a vital role in the formation of objects and experiences; pulp molded into paper, paper folded into books, books shelved into a library.

What is the final product, if not for the methods used to create it? What makes us into the artists we are? What pushes us to continue to create?” –FORMATION

More To Come!