How air becomes water
Laser cutters may be known for their sharp, precise cuts but they do have a softer side.
Carrie Scanga working at FreeFall Laser
SANTUARY, Carrie Scanga's latest instillation, is currently on view at the University of New England, Biddeford, ME.
The instillation includes 76, 11-foot laser cut panels using a technique I developed called vapor printing. Through the laser cutting process, pigment is transferred from a painted board to the vellum, creating a ghostly halo of color around the cut edge.
Our collaboration began with a Studio Session. Artists come to my studio, usually at the beginning of a project, to work with me directly and experiment in real time with materials and laser cutting techniques.
I offer half-day, full-day, and three-day Studio Sessions. As a fun value added, MASS MoCA is right around the corner to provide inspiration.
These session are great for jump-starting projects and exploring innovative working methods. While they are an investment in time and travel, the concentrated focus often opens up new ways of working and gives the artist firsthand experience with the process. Almost always with complex projects, it's more efficient to start by working together in person instead of long distance.
Some artists, like Carrie, come with a project that is almost fully formed, while others use the time to explore a variety of possibilities before returning to their studio to finalize the project. Once the specifics are mapped out, we can work together remotely, with me completing the laser cut portions and shipping the pieces to the artist.
In this post I share with you Carrie's instillation.
In Carrie's Words:
“Sarah and I collaborated during the summer of 2019 to transform my ink drawings of water into large-scale cut and printed paper sheets. Sarah’s suggestion of vapor printing and her inspiring examples and tests led to a breakthrough in my studio process. The ghostly quality of vapor printing and the repetition of cut marks lend a feeling of vulnerability and gentle movement to this piece that I could not have captured through any other medium.”
Installing instillation at University of New England, Biddeford, ME
Artist Statement:
SANCTUARY is a participatory public artwork that bears witness to visitors’ embodied experiences. Within a printed paper installation, visitors are invited to write medical experiences to be interpreted anonymously in visual and textual forms by artist Carrie Scanga and writer Emily Rapp Black. New visual and textual information will be added to the installation over time, resulting in a space that bears witness, and following the principle that collective storytelling acts as a dynamic vehicle for individual and social change. The installation’s initial form is based on the imagery of a dinghy surrounded by falling water.
SANCTUARY will debut at the University of New England from January to May 2020, before traveling to medical centers, community spaces, and art venues throughout the United States.
SANCTUARY
January 15 - May 15, 2020
Jack S. Ketchum Library
11 Hills Beach Road
Biddeford, ME 04005