Debut of MY FAMILY TREE at FRANK in Chapel Hill
It's been a long time coming, but My Family Tree is now finished, photographed, and hanging at FRANK in Chapel Hill as part of StoryMakers: an exhibit of narrative art! I hope you'll come out in person to the gallery to see the 3-D painting up close – the Opening Reception is tomorrow, Friday, March 11 from 6-9 p.m. at 109 East Franklin Street; the show hangs through April 24, 2011 – but if you can't make it, as promised, here is a photo:
My Family Tree, ©Sudie Rakusin, 2010
Some of the fun details that may be difficult to see:
the papier-maché eagle hangs in front of the painting; the papier-maché beaded iguana is free-standing and sits on top of the shelf that houses the working drawer the papier-maché frog peeks out of; the disk on the far left in the tree flips up to reveal my self-portrait; the door at the top right opens and closes in a frame with hinges; and the painting on the wall to the left of the door is a separate, miniature painting hung on the larger canvas.
As I mentioned in a previous post, this painting took many months to complete, and many major life events occurred during its creation. Therefore, it holds a very special place in my heart. It is also possible this will be the final piece in this series of large 3-D paintings. After I finished it, I started dreaming of paintings that I could do on smaller round or oval canvases, and I cannot be certain how far I will go with those. More on that later!
I'd love to hear what you think of this piece, and I really do hope you will come out to FRANK to check out the show. It features work by artists: Nancy Baker, Carmen Elliot, Henryk Fantazos, Jane Filer, Patrick Fitzgerald, Charlotte Foust, Jean LeCluyse, Michele Maynard, Luna Lee Ray, Kirsten Stingle, Quentin Warshauer, and Aggie Zed. In addition, you will find lovely work by all of the FRANK artists you already know and love.
