Boro

Discovering the aesthetic and philosophy of ‘boro’ was one of those transformative moments for me. There is something in my nature that is attracted to the ‘meaning’ of things. Such is the pursuit of purpose and usefulness as it is translated into beauty and contributes to its environment as muse and meditational object.

The first boro of my collection.

FurugiStar describes boro in this way, "Literally translated as rags or scraps of cloth, the term boro is also used to describe clothes and household items which have been patched-up and repaired many times. Once clothing was made, it would be maintained throughout the owner’s lifetime, or perhaps even longer. Cotton was scarce in Japan, but hemp was abundant. Hemp would be homespun and woven into beautiful patterns. Cotton could be woven through the hemp fabrics to make it warmer."

The two images, above, are examples of Boro. My reinterpretation of the Boro aesthetic , below, is composed with the same philosophy of repurposing.

Some of my paintings aspire to capture the sensibility of the tattered and torn Boro. I think of my stone and fiber work as tapping into something very primal. I'm borrowing from iconic cultural memes of Ikebana, the scholar stones...even bonsai. These painted surfaces are more non-objective and visceral. If my sculptures are seen as accessible objects and representative of some narrative( vessel or tool), these surfaces are urban , cave walls

This image is a good example of the Gee's Bend quilter's style.

(above)the fixtures that I've created for my upcoming show, borrow from the patchwork look of Gee's Bend. Another blog to come, featuring the philosophy of elevations for sculpture and my homage to a magnificent tree.