black and white art

18" x 24" Mixed media on panel This piece is part of my "Message in a Bottle" series, inspired by a box of 100 letters I discovered that were written by my grandfather when he was a soldier in WW1. All the artwork in this series bring forth the feelings, passions and ideas he wrote about, or are derived from the materiality of the stationery, handwriting, ink, stains, etc. "With the Colors 2" refers to how immigrants, like my grandfather, in spite of enduring their own national and social traumas, felt honored to be soldiers in the American army. Born in what is now Belarus, A. C. Brook escaped the pogroms (massacres and persecution of the Jews) of the late 1800's, landed penniless in Detroit, Michigan in the early 1900’s, learned English, became a tailor, and signed up with honor to fight for his new country.  The phrase “with the colors”, which was printed onto the bottom of the US Expeditionary Forces stationary, is a solemn and heartfelt term for the American flag, used especially to honor those who have died for the greater cause. $725  

The Threads of Connection series was inspired by a trove of letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother when he was a young soldier in WW1. I never met him, but was astonished when I "re-"realized he was a tailor and I am the only one of later generations to work with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters “in conversation” with my fabrics (fabric remnants, threads or fabrics/materials I've found or used) on these intimate panels, I hope to capture something about the connection of hands, hearts and DNA between us.  It has also generated the question of whether this is a way to “heal backwards in time?” Mixed media 10" x 10"   $275

The Threads of Connection series was inspired by a trove of letters written by my grandfather to my grandmother when he was a young soldier in WW1. I never met him, but was astonished when I "re-"realized he was a tailor and I am the only one of later generations to work with my hands and fabrics. By placing his letters “in conversation” with my fabrics (fabric remnants, threads or fabrics/materials I've found or used) on these intimate panels, I hope to capture something about the connection of hands, hearts and DNA between us.  It has also generated the question of whether this is a way to “heal backwards in time?” Mixed media 10" x 10"   $275   SOLD