exploring, listening, waiting...

yesterday i began exploring what happens when i immerse various objects in water supersaturated with borax powder. i knew i would get crystals growing, but i didn't know if they'd grow on all the things i tried or just on some. the results varied - with bubble wrap being the least "crystal friendly". the little wood house was completely covered on its bottom, but the sides had only a few crystals attach, leading me to realize that the crystals like surfaces that parallel the bottom of the container more than the vertical surfaces. the borax intensified surfaces that had color; a happy surprise and something i'd like to explore further. here are a few of the items as they came out of the bath (click to enlarge each picture):

 

even before the items dried i was wondering what i would do with them, so the listening that has always been the biggest part of my work, began especially early in the process…

it prompted me to photograph the items alone and together in various compositions and study the results while i continued to listen:

: :

all of the variations are intriguing, but it is these last three that have truly captured my attention. i don't know exactly where they will lead me, or what they are trying to say yet, or even precisely how/where they fit in with my other work, but that doesn't surprise me or make me the least uneasy. 

i have a strong sense that they are expressions of memories frozen in time - a theme central to so much of my work:

that's enough for me to go on while they continue to quietly develop in my mind and heart.

eventually my conversations with them will reveal their stories and final resolutions.

: : karen anne