DAC Monthly Inspiration - May 2024 - The MET Gala Sleeping Beauties

Monthly Inspiration – The MET Gala Sleeping Beauties

“I know you; I walked with you once upon a dream.”

– Aurora, Sleeping Beauty

“And from this slumber, you shall wake, when true love’s kiss, the spell shall break.” – Merryweather

#curatewithcharacter

“One

gift: beauty rare, gold of sunshine in her hair.” – The Gifts of Beauty and Song, Sleeping Beauty

#curatewithcharacter

“They say if you dream a thing more than once, it’s sure to come true.” – Aurora

#curatewithcharacter

Elise Wehle Artist Spotlight

Artist Statement | Plant Collages

With my art, the process matters, and my process reconnects me to my hands and the world around me. With the ever-growing presence of technology in our daily lives, my hands are often obliviously occupied with slick plastic surfaces and smooth keys. Through my art, I can touch the natural world around me. Meticulously manipulating leaves, flowers, and other flora, I use my hands for hours as I construct figurative collages that remind me of my connection to a larger whole. Reflecting on the cycles of my own life, I ponder the revolutions of death and growth that mother nature undergoes every season. As I touch each plant, I think about what that means for me.

After becoming a mother, my anxiety peaked. Considering the numerous disasters on both an international and local scale, I questioned if the world was safe for my three young children. Making art about seasons—using the red and browns of autumn and winter and then juxtaposing them with the greens of spring and summer— has helped me understand that even the deepest pain does not last forever, and new growth and joy will always come again, both for me and my children. My art symbolizes the resurrection, not just a literal resurrection but also the small and essential resurrections we go through in life as we learn to live with grief and find healing from hurt. Ultimately, my art gives me hope.

Q&A

Your plant collages combine detailed patterns reminiscent of illuminated manuscripts, architecture, and other sacred objects with the organic forms of pressed plants. These two elements, the intricate patterns and the pressed plants, complement each other so well. What inspired this pairing of pattern and plant?

Juxtaposing the structured, ordered designs of pattern against the fluid, organic shapes of nature seems to capture a balance that exists in the environment itself. While nature can be unpredictable and chaotic, it also follows certain patterns that we all depend on—we know after a snowy winter the world will turn green again.

Originally creating these artworks to deal with my own anxiety, I sought after that reassurance. Like sprouts springing up out of the ashes of a wildfire, I needed to know that despite the hardships I face, there would be opportunities for new beginnings and growth afterward.

Q&A

In your works, you cut intricate patterns into representational imagery, often landscapes and portraits. What inspired you to use patterns to transform these images?

Why pattern? No matter the subject matter, no matter how it changes over time, one element links all my art together, and that is pattern. But why?⠀

It's because pattern impacts me more in art than any other detail. When I think of the art that sticks with me, the ones I return to in my head over and over again, pattern is usually a part of it. I believe it's because pattern is a representation of dedication, even devotion. To create those redundant shapes with unbelievable accuracy over and over again shows an insane amount of determination and commitment. Whether or not other parts of the artwork appeal to me, I can't avoid how awestruck I feel observing all that pattern. ⠀

I'm not there yet, but that's what I strive for in my art. I want the viewer to feel my dedication just like I do in the art I most admire. It's a lofty goal, but it's a fulfilling journey.⠀

Q&A

Does the repetitive and time-intensive nature of your process affect the way you think about time and productivity as an artist? And if so, how?

Yes! Our society is so focused on speed and instant results. If our devices lag for more than two seconds, we lose it (of which I am guilty!). There is something soothing and restorative about not rushing, and I make art that forces me to slow down. If I don’t, it will be obvious and look terribly sloppy. And I love it! It feels so good to focus on something small and detailed that requires all my attention. Creating these patterns, whether through cutting or weaving together plants, has certainly become a form of meditation for me.

What drew you to paper as a medium?

Paper is so incredibly versatile. It’s probably the first material any of us artists ever used, along with some crayons, and yet, for being so basic, you can do so much with it. You can cut it, tear it, and fold it. You can use it to paint an illusion of a threedimensional space or sculpt it into an actual threedimensional object. I love the possibilities it presents.

With my art, the process matters, and my process reconnects me to my hands and the world around me.”

– Elise Wehle

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