River Water as Art Material?

 

It’s a wildly different encounter when facing a physical piece of art versus eyeing one on your computer screen. 

That’s especially true for textured, translucent artist-made paper.

And gilded metal leaf.

Also, you know how there’s been way less opportunity to see artwork over the past two years, versus before the pandemic?
 

Get that real-life viewing experience this month, because I have several pieces at the WaterFire Arts Center store. 


You’ll see a few Weathering: Providence River artworks on display—a fitting choice for WaterFire, an organization that brings people to downtown Providence by lighting fires on the river.

I used actual tidal river waters (questionable material, as we know) mixed with Miracle-Gro to oxidize copper, creating one-of-a-kind blue-green colors. 

The shapes are inspired by Great Salt Cove, a lost tidal marsh that was located in present-day downtown Providence. And the papers are embedded with real-life Rhode Island seaweed and pondweeds. 

These artworks are:

  • already custom-framed

  • ready to hang up, next to your desk or wherever there's a sad empty wall

  • if you get one, you'd be the only one to have it, since each is one-of-a-kind


You have until Sunday, May 1st, 2022 to see them at:


The WaterFire Arts Center
475 Valley St, Providence, RI

Wednesday-Sunday, 10am to 5pm, Thursdays until 9pm

 
 
exhibitions, studio processMay Babcock