27 x 19 x 12 feet | watercolor, iridescent medium, paper tape on hand-cut paper with painted walls, cast shadows | 2005 | 11½, curated by Susan Joyce | OVERTONES | Los Angeles
Big Eddy Swell was part of my debut solo exhibition in Los Angeles, 11½ — site-specific cut paper that gives drawing new dimensions through large-scale abstract landscapes. The title takes its cue from string theory: “11½” indicates going a step beyond eleven. The superstring theory revolution began when physicists realized that the subatomic particles found in nature — electrons, for instance — might not be particles at all, but tiny vibrating strings.
Drawing by hand with a knife, spontaneously without lines, the contours emerge from memory and subconscious. The walls of the gallery were painted rich, luscious colors. The images relate to nature and at the same time cross into the supernatural. I devised unexpected environments where perception is challenged — silhouettes and cast shadows from suspended cutout drawings transforming the gallery dramatically, taking the viewer to an ulterior space, a place that provides an altered state experience.