Tornado Drawings

Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once-Mine is Now Ours, 15" x 22", 2011

Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once-Mine is Now Ours, 15" x 22", 2011

In 2011, I was struck by the large quantity of tornadoes that were ripping through the US as far east as Massachusetts. It was unprecedented and being from Kansas, I felt somehow that something of mine was being lost. I knew that I wanted to do a series of sculptures and drawings that investigated tornadoes, and What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours is that exploration. The title responds to my personal sense of perceived loss and also to the emotional and physical collision of the families directly affected by a tornado’s path.  What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours is the first drawing in the series.

As I Slept You Carried Me and We Listened as You Moved On are two new pieces in the tornado series, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours.  These works are also depictions of my personal relationship to tornadoes.

When I was a young child there was once a tornado whipping through town in the late evening while I slept.  My dad carried me to the basement and with my mom and brother, we all waited there listening to the radio report for the storm to pass.  We were most likely in the basement for a half hour or so, and then we returned to our beds.  These times were exciting.  Rushing to the cellar, listening to the voices on the small radio, hearing the wind outside, heading back upstairs to check the damages and seeing the green black sky recede into the distance.  The next morning when I went to breakfast my older brother was talking about the previous night's experience and I didn't know what he was talking about.  I had slept through the entire storm.  My father had taken me out of bed, carried me downstairs and then back up to bed, and I never awoke.  This non memory has always had a profound effect on me.  As I Slept You Carried Me is a non memory drawing of that storm.

We Listened as You Moved On represents a less specific memory.  There were storms every spring and early summer that made us run back to the house or bike home from the park to be safe in our basement.  These moments were fast, colorful, loud and dreamy.  This drawing investigates that energy, that pull and motion.

​See more from the series here.

Botanical Plate Collaboration with Asya Palatova of Gleena Ceramics

In 2007 I collaborated with Asya Palatova of Gleena Ceramics on a set of plates.  Her work is truly lovely with all of her porcelain tableware pieces handmade by Asya in her studio in Pawtucket, RI.  This collaboration was brainstormed by the wondrous Sara Grady as a wedding gift for a dear friend of ours.   Sara now works as Vice President of Programming at Glynwood Farm which is located in the lower Hudson Valley in Cold Spring, NY.  She writes for Edible Hudson Valley and created a great film about Glynwood Farm.  I miss her! It was such an honor to work with these women on this project.  Our friend was married in Joshua Tree National Park, and in celebration of this, the illustrations depict various joshua tree blossoms.  I would LOVE to get these plates into production.

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova
Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova
Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Botanical illustrations by Pattie Lee Becker & Plates by Asya Palatova

Peanut People

Elyse Allen, artist and designer extraordinaire, taught me how to make both rope and peanut people.  She is a remarkable woman.  I know of very few artists who can make stunningly gorgeous things while actively pursuing the art of play.  Once we collaborated on a whole troupe of peanut people circus performers.  They were incredible.  Elyse is a favorite of mine and I do believe a good peanut people making session is in high order. But be careful if you make them, because once I had a large family of peanut people in a cold non-winterized sun room that I avoided until warmer weather, and upon returning to it in the Spring, I found a slaughter - all of my little friends had been gnawed away by mice!

Peanut People by Pattie Lee Becker & Inspired by Elyse Allen
Peanut People by Pattie Lee Becker & Inspired by Elyse Allen

Eames Molded Plastic Rocker Transformed through Upholstery

As part of the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art's White Space event, sponsored by Design Within Reach, six artists were invited to transform the Eames plastic molded rocker.  I chose to upholster the chair with hand made lacing that I made from some black and white plaid fabric. I loved thinking about the relationship between art and design and hope to work more with furniture. There is something so honest about working with form and function. The other participating artists were: Sabin Aell, Allan Andre, Donald Fodness, Alvin Gregorio and Xi Zhang.

The Process: Templates were made and attached, holes were punched to mark the drill hole locations, holes were drilled and the weaving implemented.

​See more here.

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

Pattie Lee Becker transformed Eames chair (process)

The finished piece:

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Pattie Lee Becker-transformed Eames chair

Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo

Poetry reading and sculptural performance for the chapbook launch of Dana Elkun's Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo.  Performed at Endden Bellegrade in Boulder, Colorado on 18 March 2010.  Read by Dana Elkun.  Designed & Performed by Pattie Lee Becker and Lacey Coover.

Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo book signing

Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo book signing

Pre-show at Endden Bellegrade

Pre-show at Endden Bellegrade

Pre-show: curtain going up

Pre-show: curtain going up

"The Iridologist said, ...."  (performance)

"The Iridologist said, ...."  (performance)

"The Iridologist said, ...."  (performance)

"The Iridologist said, ...."  (performance)

"Less You" (performance)

"Less You" (performance)

"Less You" (performance)

"Less You" (performance)

"The Essence of the Owl" (performance)

"The Essence of the Owl" (performance)

"The Essence of the Owl" (performance)

"The Essence of the Owl" (performance)

"Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo" (performance)

"Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo" (performance)

"Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo" (performance)

"Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo" (performance)

"Black Box Theater as Abandoned Zoo" Performance

BMoCA Ropes Exhibition

The exhibition Ropes at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art has been up for a couple of months and has one month to go before it closes.  Please stop by and check it out if you are in the area.  The series is composed of sixteen drawings and two sculptures all of which explore the simplicity and complexities inherent in ropes. Youngna Park at 20x200 wrote a nice piece on their blog: http://www.20x200.com/blog/2010/03/ropes-by-pattie-lee-becker-at-bmoca.html

Thanks to all of you who came out to the opening or otherwise and supported me and my practice.  It means so much to me that all of you have shown up to take a look.  Here are some exhibition images taken by the fantastic friend and photographer Ashley Davis.

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

Pattie Lee Becker's Ropes exhibition at BMoCA 2010

The hanging sculpture is made of woodblock printed linen, batting, tubing, and steel.  Theresa Haberkorn, a local Boulder woodcut printmaker helped me with the carving and printing.  I had never met her before she agreed to come help on the project, and it was really nice working with her.

The Rope Pile (below) is made of handmade ropes that I created from various twines and other materials.  Mathias Leppitsch, a  fabricator, designer, and artist in Denver,  welded me a specific hook that fit into my drill to speed up the otherwise antiquated process.  We spun rope into the wee hours of the morning as the installation date drew near.  A life saver.

There are also two other shows up in the first floor galleries that are very worthwhile: Beverly McIver and Steve Steele.  It’s a privilege to be in their company.

"Ropes" Artcards and Coloring Books

Ropes at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art runs from 5 Febraury through 23 May 2010. To commemorate the series, a Coloring Book and Artcard Set with letter-pressed hang tags were developed with designer Justin Fuller of Pencil + Paper and printed and bound by Brad O'Sullivan of Smokeproof Press.

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes, 8 Artcards for hanging and mailing, January 2010

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes, 8 Artcards for hanging and mailing, January 2010

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes Artcard Hang Tags, January 2010

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes Artcard Hang Tags, January 2010

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes Coloring Book, January 2010

Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes Coloring Book, January 2010