Ottomans Created as Part of New "Vogel Vau" Furniture Line
Nesting Ottomans by Pattie Lee Becker & Mathias Leppitsch
I recently began collaborating with my husband Mathias Leppitsch on a furniture line for a newly founded company called Vogel Vau, a design collective that is composed of us and our two good friends Sabin Aell and Randy Rushton. Our first project is a set of three nestling ottomans. I created the textile design which was inspired by my recent Powers of Ten series and Mathias and I worked together on the overall furniture design. These ottomans stack one on top of the other and also nestle close together. They are currently being exhibited as part of Design By Colorado's exhibition that is being held at the McNichols Civic Center Building in downtown Denver through April of 2013.
See more here.
Tornado Drawings
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
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!
Open Letters Monthly - Interview
Pattie Lee Becker, Rebirth to the Stars, 14" x 17", 2005
A colleague of mine at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design, Katie Caron, invited me to participate in an interview with the online art and literature review Open Letters Monthly. The questions were thought provoking and I enjoyed the opportunity to speak for my work in such a direct way. The cover image they chose is of an older drawing titled "Rebirth to the Stars." I loved returning to this piece, remembering its creation and narrative. There is a lot of discussion about "What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours," the large tornado sculpture that I exhibited at RMCAD in September. Read the interview here.
Woodcut Collaboration
Music and Humanity, woodcut, 30" x 30", 2011
Back in April of this year, Stephen Prochyra of Vostok Press invited me to collaborate on a woodcut project. It was an honor for me to work with him. His work is purposeful and poignant, beautifully drawn and painted with honesty and integrity. Stephen is a great artist and part of an ever expanding group of individuals that know how to keep time for themselves while generously sharing their passions and time with others. We created a four color reduction print, 30" x 30", titled Balance, Music and Humanity. Prints are available for purchase here.
One of My Lightning Bolts
I just discovered this photo of my nephew that I took the night of my What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours opening at RMCAD in early September. A huge storm was brewing as friends arrived and I was grateful for the dynamic weather that paralleled my tornado sculpture. The sky felt enormous and saturated. Unbelievably, my sweet five year old nephew Sam found a plastic golden lightening bolt in the dirt right in front of the gallery. He held it up to the sky and I shot this image. So much beauty. I love that a plastic piece of otherwise junk takes on so much significance and relevance.
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)
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
Rope Pile Triptych Billboard in Downtown Denver
Rope Pile Triptych is shown on a massive billboard in downtown Denver as part of the Denver Theater District's (DTD) mission to present the arts more visibly around town. The billboard is located on 16th and Champa. Check it out if you're in the area. There are lots of great artworks presented around town, so keep your eyes open.
Pattie Lee Becker, Rope Pile Triptych Billboard, 2011
What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours
Last spring I was invited to exhibit at RMCAD in their small Rude Gallery. The space is 15 feet by 8 feet with 12 foot tall ceilings. I wasn't sure what I wanted to investigate for my new body of work, but by July I had decided on tornadoes. Growing up in Kansas, I have always identified with tornadoes as they were a constant force every year that brought curiosity, fear and excitement to the late spring and early summer days. The sky grows dark and ominous, turns to a moody grey green, then a stillness and the storm breaks in. Great thunderstorms with vast lightning would streak across the skies and there was a real sense of being alive.
As tornadoes swept across the US in unprecedented areas this year, I felt that my personal identification with them was somehow shifted. "What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours" is a new series of artwork that explores these thoughts. The Rude Gallery exhibition contains a large tornado sculpture based on one of my drawings. Exhibition dates are August 26th through October 7th, 2011. A painting, drawing and printmaking exhibition of the same title will be held at Naropa's Lincoln Gallery in October.
THE SCULPTURE
The sculpture "What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours" is made of steel, wire, wood, fabric, fiber fill, paint, sand, hand made rope, papier mache and fur. Mathias Leppitsch donated so much time in helping me by welding the armature, problem solving potential issues, assisting in the planning and install and in general making sure that I kept my cool as time ran out. Major thanks goes out to him.
Sewing:
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (process), 2011
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (process), 2011
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (process), 2011
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (process), 2011
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (process), 2011
Concrete Stair Construction:
Installing:
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours (installation), 2011
The finished piece:
Pattie Lee Becker, What I Thought Was Once Mine is Now Ours, 2011
General Update
It has been a whirlwind of a year. Between teaching loads of classes at Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design (RMCAD), Naropa University and CU Boulder, moving to Denver and making art, I've neglected posting news about all the wild and fun stuff I've been up to. The school year has started up again. I'm teaching Drawing, 2D Design, and Contemporary Art Studio this semester. When I'm not teaching I'm working on a new body of work about tornadoes. And when I'm not working on that Mathias and I are continuing to build out our live/work studio.
I hope that you are all well and looking forward to the coming of autumn. More to come soon. Enjoy.
Awesome Eraser Collection
The amount of erasers on this site is mind blowing. Great forms and colors and patterns. Check it out: http://borrandoque.wordpress.com/ Her collection puts mine to shame, in fact, now I don't think I even have one. Enjoy.
Kala Art Institute Printmaking Residency
Pattie Lee Becker, Anxiety, etching, 9" x 12", 2010
In July and August, I went out to Kala Art Institute in Berkeley, California and worked on a series of etchings that investigate psychological space. Here are four finished works from the series:
Pattie Lee Becker, Intruder, etching, 9" x 12", 2010
Pattie Lee Becker, Blockaded Inside Dream Travel, etching, 9" x 12", 2010
Pattie Lee Becker, Discussions on Fear, etching, 9" x 12", 2010
I'd forgotten just how much I love to make prints. Back in college, it was the act of making etchings that changed everything for me, foregoing a major in philosophy for one in art. The process is mesmerizing and so tactile. The beauty of the copper plate inked up and ready for printing - so seductive. Here are some images of the process:
Registration Guide
Preparing the ink
Inking the plate
Wiping the plate with tarlatan
Palm wiping
Ready for Printing
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
Pre-show at Endden Bellegrade
Pre-show: curtain going up
"The Iridologist said, ...." (performance)
"The Iridologist said, ...." (performance)
"Less You" (performance)
"Less You" (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
Anderson Ranch Arts Center
I've been up at Anderson Ranch for three weeks now, and have one week left. This place is amazing. It's downtime for the Ranch and for me. They are in between their summer programs and winter residencies, and I am the only visiting artist up here. The initial week was challenging as I adjusted to an empty studio and extremely solitary hours. I had some sort of existential crisis as I wondered for days about the meaning of art and of being an art-maker. It's hard to find motivation for making a new body of work when you are confounded by your day to day movements and desires. I was struggling. I sought out Clarissa Pinkola Estes and Alan Watts. I took walks and processed.
Time progressed and I settled in, and then, art making became exciting once more, less cerebral and more active. I've compiled a ton of ideas, studies, prototypes, and should have a handful of finished pieces by the time's end. I feel grateful to be up here, and after lots of tail spinning and questioning, re-invigorated to be an artist.
It's been an amazing time to explore new ideas and to free myself from my intensive drawing practice. My drawings have always informed my sculptures, but it is seldom that I get to focus this much energy and time on the creation of the sculptures. The facilities here are mind blowing, and so I've tried to take advantage of them. Here are a few images of the sculptures in progress that I've been working on while here at Anderson Ranch:
Finger Boomerangs (in progress)
Relational Bonfire (in progress)
Relational Bonfire (detail)
The Struggle of Multilateralism
Kindling for finger boomerang base
Diamond frame for weaving (in progress)
I'll be leaving soon, fueled by my new work and the experience here. It has been a gift. Genuinely. For those of you who don't know about Anderson Ranch, please check it out. They have amazing summer workshops, a fabulous residency program, and many other noteworthy things. Also, the people up here are generous, kind, and so very talented.
Slideluck Potshow
In the late 1990s I traveled back and forth across the States for a variety of experiences that I wasn't always looking for and some that I was. I saw a relationship collapse under the weight of the Colorado sky, discovered a friend I thought I knew become permanently delusional from drinking too much liquid acid and learned that building a fort inside a bedroom can make you feel more lonely than safe. I contemplated the need for good urban planning, feel in love with the music of Jimmy Dale Gilmore and the Flatlanders, was reminded that my mom is amazing and that true friends are easy to be around. During these trips I took loads of photos with my Canon Elf APS camera in panoramic mode. I'm not much of a photographer and wasn't taking the photos for the sake of art, but more for documentary purposes. I ended up with a lot of images that I was attracted to both in content and form. I began pairing the images, making connections between colors, shapes and lines. I had two full albums of these pairings and the project was meaningful to me.
In graduate school there was a fellow student who wanted to put my work in a group show that she was curating. During a studio visit she discovered the albums and wanted to build an entire metal display structure for them as a collaboration between the two of us. I was thrilled that the photos would be shown, especially since they weren't ever intended for that purpose. I was asked to remount them on matte board for her display unit. I spent hours getting the photographs together and handed her about 80 images of the works in a cardboard box I had laying around. A few days later I showed up at the opening to see the exhibition. Her huge display shelf was in the room, but my images weren't on it. Instead, there was my box, an old cardboard box that must have shipped frozen meats or something, on the floor with the tape cut but unopened. I asked her why the photos weren't up and she said that it was conceptually more interesting to keep them in the box since it had the word FROZEN printed on it.
Then came the opportunity nearly ten years later to put together a slide show for the Slideluck Potshow and I used those images. Broadcast's song, Tears in the Typing Pool, accompanies the piece as it relates to the aforementioned experience and the parallel between text on a blank piece of paper and human development of the land.
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
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 Artcard Hang Tags, January 2010
Pattie Lee Becker, Ropes Coloring Book, January 2010
Found: God's Eye Drawing
Found: God's eye drawing on the back of a ski sign in Snowmass