Last week, when I was helping E– with technical assistance on his new project, I allowed the rusty water to spill beyond its strict confines (whose pristine white is sacred to all print lovers). E– graciously saw it as an aesthetic element in its own right.
When I first heard him explain twice in the same day the concept behind the project he’s working on, I only knew him from his works I had archived just the previous week. His style (from almost 10 years ago) looked like cartoons, like covers of emo records. Tim Burtonesque. It worked, for me.
I was initially skeptical, but my opportunity antenna vibrated at the keyword “more-than-human.” Today I began to see his project: I can see his style beginning to emerge through minimal collaboration (editing) of unpredictable natural forces. Rust patterns from salvaged metal plates, facilitated by selected salt waters from around the world, are printed onto paper.
I’m curious to know more about why he has chosen to work in print media, when his other works are much more installation-based.
Water used as a stand-in for the more-than-human carries a lot of political significance. E– has some kind of project involving elders in Cuba. What is going on across his projects that we can learn from?
My current emotional state: satisfied.