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Debra Disman

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CONCURRENCIES: Charlotte Salomon and Eva Hesse: The Works

August 8, 2022 By Debra Disman

On June 25th, 2022 I held an open studio to share works created for my 2021-22 Santa Monica Artist Project Fellowship:

Charlotte Salomon and Eva Hesse: Genius, Trauma and the Invention of New Forms of Visual Art in Response to the Holocaust

Employing research, artistic production, public engagement, the project investigates, compares and links the lives and the groundbreaking work of Jewish women artists Charlotte Salomon and Eva Hesse on the basis of their shared experience of trauma and loss through the Jewish Holocaust, the remarkably similar intimate traumas of their families (both lost their mothers to suicide), their invention of new forms of visual art through which I posit they respond to and attempt to cope with these traumas,  their early deaths, and the emotional involvement of each with a charismatic and powerful male artist who proved to be influential, even pivotal in the development of their work and artistic/creative breakthroughs.

Themes of the project include being a woman artist, being a Jewish women artist, being an artist during or affected by a profoundly turbulent time in history, the relationship between internal and external turbulence and the creative act and the transformative power of the creative process:  the triumph of the imagination as opposed to the triumph of the will.

On a broader scale, the project examines, through these two geniuses, ways in which the creative process can transform traumatic pasts, and how trauma can elicit the creation of new forms, voices and materials that outlast their makers and continue to reverberate throughout the ages, inspiring posterity.

As part of my Fellowship project commitment, I created a series of works responding to these artists: their oeuvre, their lives, their concurrencies, some of which I share here: (All images by Steve Hankins Photography)

Working title: “Concurrencies I“, 2022, repurposed denim, linen thread, gold thread, hemp cord, varnish


Working title: “Concurrencies II“, begun, 2022 (unfinished), repurposed denim, linen thread, gold thread, varnish , to be developed


Working title, “Finally“, 2022, canvas, burlap, acrylic paint, hemp cord


Working title, “Finally“, 2022, canvas, burlap, acrylic paint, hemp cord, (details)


“I Can’t I Won’t I will I Do“, 2022, repurposed cotton table runner, hemp cord, acrylic paint


“It’s Not Black and White“, 2021, Bookboard, mulberry paper, repurposed typewriter tape, canvas, hemp cord, (exterior)


“It’s Not Black and White“, 2021, Bookboard, mulberry paper, repurposed typewriter tape, canvas, hemp cord, (exterior/interior)


“Forest Through The Trees“, 2021, bookboard, hemp cord, watercolor paper, acrylic paint, wood, canvas, repurposed typewriter tape, lace, (exterior)


“Forest Through The Trees“, 2021, bookboard, hemp cord, watercolor paper, acrylic paint, wood, canvas, repurposed typewriter tape, lace, (detail)


Working title: “Charlotte Salomon-Eva Hesse: Concurrencies“, 2022, repurposed family album, burlap, linen thread, collage/paper,  (exterior)

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 18th Street Arts Center, Artists" Book, Charlotte Salomon, Concurrencies, Debra Disman, Eva Hesse, Fellowship, Hangings, Material, Materiality, Open Studio, SANTA MONICA, Santa Monica Artist Fellow, Santa Monica Artist Fellowship, Sculptural Book, Scyulpture, Steve Hankins Photography, Tactile, tactility, Tapestry, Texture

“PULP- Book and Paper Arts” at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts

August 3, 2022 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to participate in “PULP- Book and Paper Arts” at the Sebastopol Center for the Arts!
I have two works in the show, “Prairie”, pictured below on the exhibition announcement, and “Before the Fall”.

“PULP- Book and Paper Arts” runs July 30 to Sept 4, 2022.

“This show will feature innovative and traditional explorations of book arts, paper arts, and paper sculptures, including paper objects, book-art-related objects, altered books, and sculptural and wall-mounted pieces, as well as more traditional artists’ books, letterpress printing and bookbinding.”

Show coordinators are Renee Owen and Jennylynn Hall.

Jurors are Alicia Bailey and Helen Hiebert.

Alicia Bailey, curator and artist, is currently the director of Abecedarian Books. She has been working with book forms since the mid-nineties, has owned and run a successful gallery dedicated to book arts, and is the visionary and curator behind the annual Artists’ Book Cornucopia.

Helen Hiebert is a Colorado artist who constructs installations, sculptures, films, and artists’ books and works in paper using handmade paper as her primary medium. She teaches, lectures and exhibits her work internationally and online, and is the author of several how-to books about papermaking and paper crafts.

Please see the list of Pulp artists on SCA’s current and upcoming exhibitions page.

My work, “Before the Fall” pictured above next to a beautiful modular piece.

And…Enjoy the Show!!!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Abecedarian Book, Alicia Bailey, ARTIST'S BOOKS, Book and Paper Arts, Book Arts, Books made by Hand, Group Show, Handmade Books, Helen Hiebert, Jennylynne Hall, North Bay Bay Area, Paper Arts, PULP, Renee Owen, Sebastapol, Sebastopol Center for the Arts

Wood Work: Inspired by Louise Nevelson

July 30, 2022 By Debra Disman


Planning process.


Working drawing!


Painting is part of our process.


Creating side by side.


Building together.


Building up from a flat surface and working with shapes.


Creating a maze.


Building upwards.


Three working in very different ways.


The purple “Clutter House on Clutter Street”…

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3-d art, Assemblage, Buildng, children art classes, Inspired by Louise Nevelson, Louise Nevelson, MAKING ART INSPIRED BY GREAT ARTISTS, Making Art Together, Painting wood sculpture, Sculpture, Sumer art program, Three-dimensional art, Wood sculpture, wood work

Express Yourself, Do YOU at the West Valley Regional Branch Library!

July 25, 2022 By Debra Disman

I just started a new Artist Residency in Bookmaking, “We Write the Book” at the West Valley Regional Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library, through the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Working with families, I led a  bookmaking workshop (called a “program” in Library parlance) for a group of 20 in which they created handmade accordion fold books with pockets, which fit perfectly into the LAPL Summer Reading theme of “Express Yourself”.

Makers focused on themes of  identity, relationships and of course, self-expression!
The results were heart-warming and impressive, and a good time was had by all, as well as the learning of new skills, and a whole lot of self-expression!


Materials galore!


Creating together.


Families attended as a group.


Moms get into the act!


Dad gets into the act!



Library Children’s Librarian Sky, and teen volunteer.


An opportunity to express emotions.


Creativity abounds.


Pockets hold handmade treasures.



The beautiful results!
Proud bookmakers!

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: "Express Yourself" Self-expression, "We Write The Book", Accordion Fold Book, Accordion Fold Book with pockets, Artist Residency, Book Structures, BOOKBINDING, Bookmaking, Books made by Hand, Books with Pockets, Community Artmaking, DCA LA, DCA-funded artist residency, Folded and glued Books, Folded Books, Handmade Books, LAPL, LAPL Summer Reading, Los Angeles Public Library, Making Books Together, The Department of Cultural Affairs of the City of Los Angeles, West Valley Regional Branch Library

Color Color Color: 5 and 6 year-olds Explore, Learn, DO!

July 16, 2022 By Debra Disman

Working with paint color samples….collage!

Learning tints…adding white paint to primary and mixed colors.

Making Paintings!




Absolutely Stunning

Filed Under: Uncategorized

PLEASE TOUCH: The Community Participates

June 26, 2022 By Debra Disman


Preparing to write a special message to add to Monica’s “tree”!


Lauren with young potholder makers!


The hands that weave. Potholders.


Adding to what might be the longest potholder in existence!


Lauren guides the young makers.


Mother and daughter…


Dancers and movers relax with with Liz’s works.


Taking a moment…

Filed Under: Uncategorized

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