Fieldcasting With Lynn Naden
At Anchor Point Beach, Lynn finds a suitable natural form for creating a mold. Later, she will press pulp into the mold, casting paper shapes in preparation for her showing, opening Friday, June 1 at the Pratt Museum.
Like a photographer, Lynn goes into the field to capture an impression, returning to the studio for developing. In contrast with photography, her cast paper takes on new qualities depending on lighting, or may instead be experienced by touch.
In art, is innovation relevant? I tend to suspect that the label of innovative misinforms, or worse, points to works deficient in skillful execution and aesthetic value. Reflecting natural objects in cast form is certainly a classical pursuit, but this process of field casting strikes me as novel. Perhaps this exists as a tradition I am unaware of?
Lynn was a help to me back in the day of WKFL TV. She bravely appeared last minute on camera as a panelist representing artists, fielding questions about community values in front of a full theater audience. Her off the cuff, heartfelt observations about war and soul reverberate in memory.
on DVD this week, available at the Homer Public Library, and at the link, from Amazon. Seeing those gigantic hairy beasts brought back to life on the screen felt weirdly akin to my present day alaskan surroundings.
