Of Water

Of Water: book: 8¾ ” h. x 6½” w., 36 pages; jar: 3½” d. 4¼ ” h.: 

watercolor on paper, linen, archival board, cotton thread, wheat paste, glass, shells, turquoise

You had to climb wide marble steps and go through the huge and ornate bronze doors of The New York State Education Building in Albany, New York to get to the New York State Museum. Here was truly a temple of learning in the Greek style, with its block long, monumental colonnade. Its very architecture emanated grandeur. Walking through the entrance made you feel important things were to come. A brass, cage elevator took you to the floor where the museum was located. The elevator operator was quiet and knew that the public was allowed only into the fifth floor museum. My young self imagined there were other fantastic mysteries housed on the other floors. When the elevator stopped and the squeaky door was pulled open, it took a second or two for your eyes to adjust to the dimmer light. You heard the sound of trickling water first, then you looked upon a full fledged recreation of a prehistoric forest. Giant club mosses the size of trees perched upon rocky ledges appeared to stretch into a humid distance. Strewn among this vision of Paradise were the fossilized stumps and logs of actual prehistoric trees. The adventure had begun; you were now in another world. 

It was in museums that I learned about collections. They were in oak framed cases with glass windows isolating their contents away from the chaotic world. Everything was labeled and had some sort of explanatory text, which gave name and context to the objects on display. Even the most mundane rocks were elevated to a place of importance. Museums gave everything an aura of worth. Not necessarily a monetary worth, but perhaps a worth of being studied, or a worth of being admired for some unique quality that set the observed apart from its peers. 

Of Water examines the notion of what makes a collection and what makes it have worth. My small gathering of mostly shells is of a common sort. They were collected by me over time from beaches or shops or the cast offs of pets. I had no specific end in my mind, there was just some quality about each object that captured my imagination: a mussel shell had a barnacle attached, the knobby texture of another was a pleasure to handle, or a snail that once spent its hours quietly slithering along the glass of my aquarium left behind an empty shell without an explanation of its inhabitant’s whereabouts. The accompanying book documents and finds the Latin name of each animal (except the stone, for which I give the chemical formula), giving each an identity and placing them among phyla of all the creatures on earth. From their small glass jar, they are ennobled and immortalized with a portrait; rendering them special among all of the other fish of the sea. 

The contents of this installation are all related by the theme of water. Even Turquoise was once considered a solid form of water and has water molecules as a component of its formula. As such, they come under the dominion of Triton, who heralds the opening of the book on the title page. Triton’s name means “of the third” which refers to his father Poseidon. The third lot of water fell to Poseidon when, with his brothers Zeus and Hades, they divided the ruling of the world among themselves. Zeus claimed the heavens, and Hades fate sent him to rule the underworld. The third lot gave Poseidon complete kingship over all of the waters of the earth. Thus, Poseidon’s son, Triton, he born of water, blows his shell trumpet to proclaim the strength and majesty of the sea. 

Museums offer an imposing entrance to other worlds. Whether a window to a prehistoric forest, a doorway into our human past or a peephole into the workings of the universe, they guide us to seeing and understanding what surrounds us. Perhaps this why we collect, to ponder the great mysteries in all things; of Gods and how their great forces act upon the world and of creatures, now in a jar whose curious, hidden lives lived in secret add up to Life.

Of Water was part of the exhibition Naming the Animals at 

Curious Matter and Proteus Gowanus, April 3 - July 17, 2011

Minnie's Message

Minnie’s Message is an installation comprised of 22 drawings created using a planchette. The planchette was invented in the mid 1800’s in response to the growing interest in spiritualism. The “little plank” was a precursor to the Ouija board and operated in a similar manner. The user would rest the tips of his fingers on the device and the “spirit force” would compel motion. A small pencil at the Planchette’s tip recorded any messages or drawings. The drawings in the series tell the story of Minnie Colligan, her guilt over imagined or real misdeeds, the search for her mother and her wish to find peace in heaven. The actual Minnie Colligan lived with her husband and children in Jersey City until 1958.

The drawings are displayed with the portfolio created by the artist. The planchette used to create the drawings is displayed under a dome.

Additionally, there are 4 drawings with text that offer information about the work:

1. an explanatory text drawing, which tells of the inception of the work
2. a text drawing on the historical Minnie Colligan
3. a text drawing listing the 22 questions asked of the planchette
4. a text drawing describing the planchette

The portfolio: The portfolio is constructed of cotton cloth over acid-free board. The center panel of printed material is vintage bark cloth, which has a pattern from the time period of 1930-1950, which corresponds with the research of Minnie Colligans’ residence in 272 Fifth Street. The color and pattern is also consistent with funeral symbols and colors.

The portfolio is fastened closed with ribbon ties, the long ties for the side closure are finished with iron beads and onyx skulls; materials and symbols also associated with the funereal.

A name plate, embroidered by the artist, states the title of the work, which is surrounded by embroidered palms; picking up the palm motif of the bark cloth, and bay laurel. These are both common design motifs on tombstones of the period. The embroidery is executed in black on black. The shape of the name plate follows the shape of tombstones popular of the period mentioned.

The drawings: There are 22 drawings executed in pencil on paper. They each measure 16” wide by 22” high. There is a hand written question in ink in the upper left of each of the drawing, recording the question put to the planchette. The drawing is the answer provided by the planchette. Most of the drawings are scrawled words. Some are images. There are 2 “portraits” and several “places” such as the stars pictured. (The stars are a drawing of heaven.)

The explanatory text drawings: These 4 drawings explain the elements of the installation: the concept, Minnie Colligan, the questions and the planchette. They have the Minnie’s Message name plate at the top, with a border of bay laurel leaves enclosing the text. They are the same paper and size as the planchette drawings.

The planchette: This is a found object, made of mahogany, with two wooden wheels, held in place by metal wire. The wheels swivel freely, to allow freedom of movement. It is approximately heart shaped, so the wheels form a triangle with a metal flange that holds a pencil at the heart’s apex. It is approximately 100 years old.

The image below, shows the work installed in a gallery setting.


Minnie Colligan

Minnie was born in Ireland in 1885. She immigrated to the United States in 1895 at 10 years old. She was married at 16 years old to Michael Colligan. They had 6 children. It is not clear when Minnie and Michael moved to 272 Fifth Street, in Jersey City, but they and their children are listed at this address in a 1930 Jersey City census. Minnie was 45 in 1930. She lived in the house until 1958, when the deed was transferred to her oldest son Vincent. He sold the house to Charles and Maggie Olson a few months later.

Planchette

The planchette was invented in the mid 1800’s in response to the growing interest in spritualism. It began as a small basket with a pencil attached to one end to record spirit writings. The medium touched the basket to establish contact and the spirit would write the message. This pencil basket evolved into the heart-shaped planchette, a more sophisticated tool with two rotating casters underneath and a pencil at the tip, forming the third leg. The French word “planchette” translates to English as “little plank.”

American and European toy companies actively peddled the planchette, making it immensely popular. Planchettes were easy to make and market inexpensively as novelties. However, interest began to wane in 1886 with the introduction the of an exciting new sensation, the “talking board”(later known as the Ouija board.)