A friend brought me a gift of grape leaves after visiting her daughter and future son-in-law in Salt Lake City. This accordion book forms a bridge between receiving that gift of fresh and vibrant grape leaves and my desire to perpetuate, materialize, and share that experience of beauty with others.
It began with a perception of beauty in the leaves, apparent to my eyes, a moment that lingered in my mind even as the leaves grew limp and withered. I wanted to share that insight with others and move it from the realm of my inner thoughts into physical, three-dimensional form.
The materials of paper, cardboard, ink, paint, and the leaves themselves, form a bridge that seeks to access that beauty even after it has faded from the physical realm. It brings the viewer both backward to the original gift and forward to a new moment of apprehension. My friend’s gift of grape leaves, carried eastward from Salt Lake City to the island of Manhattan, inspired and generated this gift; it created a bridge of time, of relationship, and of enduring beauty.
This work is now on view at Our Savior’s Atonement Lutheran Church, 178 Bennett Avenue, in Washington Heights, NYC as part of their “building Bridges” art show.
