AS WINTER APPROACHES, ARTIST INTRODUCES
FLOWERING DOGWOOD MOBILE
TO SUSPEND SPRINGTIME FOR ALL WHO APPRECIATE NATURE
FORT COLLINS, CO, September 1, 2005--Fall colors are arriving and, before we know it, trees will be bare. What if spring blossoms could last throughout the year—even forever? Who’s to say nature's beauty can be appreciated only by outdoor lovers? Certainly not artist Jan R. Carson. The fiber artist is introducing the first in a series of limited edition artworks. Flowering Dogwood Mobile is a kinetic sculpture that pays homage to one of the most popular trees in the U.S. and brings the outdoors inside. The culmination of two years Carson spent studying the botany of the tree and the complex casting process it would take to realize her vision, the sculpture consists of four branches cast from life in durable resin. It drops 24 inches and measures 54 inches in diameter and moves freely as it reacts to subtle air currents. Individual leaves and petal "bracts" were meticulously cut from hand-dyed silk and carefully placed for a realistic rendering.
Carson makes no pretense that she spends a lot of time in nature. She prefers, instead, to observe nature from a distance and comprehend its beauty from a place deep within herself. It seems appropriate that the work is debuting long after the last flower petals have fallen from the spring-blooming dogwood. After all, Carson has said, "I feel a sense of sorrow that everything must pass through the cycle of life, perhaps without ever being noticed. By reconstructing a small part of the natural environment, I am prolonging a distinct, fleeting moment." The moving parts of Flowering Dogwood Mobile, Carson added, "convey both my desire to extend time and the sensation of its endless, inescapable flow." The artwork is a memento of the outdoors for those who garden, hike, or otherwise interact with nature.
Why the Dogwood?
Reasons for adopting the dogwood as the first tree in her new line were twofold for Carson. First, the dogwood’s flowers and delicate branches provided the technical challenges she needed to resolve to create the artwork and others like it. Second, her father, who died in 2002, was a minister whose grave marker is carved with dogwood flowers. Noted in legend as the tree from which Christ’s cross was made, the dogwood was an apt choice, allowing Carson to pursue her ideas, while also creating a personal memorial to him.
About Mobiles
Mobiles have had a place in art history since Alexander Calder (American, 1898-1976) invented them in the early 1930s. They were quickly christened "mobiles"—a French pun meaning both motive and motion—by Marcel Duchamp (French, 1887-1968).
Calder's mobiles were comprised of abstract shapes in mostly primary colors plus black and white. They referenced nature through movement and the interaction between parts. Carson's faithful rendering of nature has a different focus: to freeze time—specifically, to capture a moment in the cycle of life. She noted: "Calder's universe was one of motion and interaction, where mine is one of isolation and endless moments. His art stemmed from a background strong in engineering and mechanical expertise. I’m fascinated by how things work, too. I was so intrigued with the way the human body works that I spent many years learning anatomy and physiology, and creating artworks that described it. But we approach nature differently. Calder created out of an appreciation of physical laws and natural forces. I romanticize the moment, and my artwork grows out of an emotional response to what I see."
About the Artist
Jan R. Carson's fiber works have been featured in juried, invitational, and solo exhibitions and are in numerous private collections. She has recently begun creating larger, commissioned pieces for corporations and public spaces.
In 2002, Carson was a finalist for the prestigious NICHE Award, honoring excellence and innovation in American and Canadian craft. Since 1999 she has been the artist and owner of Moon-Lily Silk Mobiles, the name under which she created a line of popular kinetic sculptures sold in galleries, boutiques and museum stores throughout the U.S. Flowering Dogwood Mobile, while remaining true to her established line of leaf mobiles, represents a new focus on the fine-art market. Among the distinguished galleries carrying her work are The Real Mother Goose (Portland, OR); New Morning Gallery (Asheville, NC); The Escape (Georgetown, TX); and Mackerel Sky (East Lansing, MI).
Carson received her M.F.A. in fibers from Colorado State University and her undergraduate degree from Oklahoma State University. She lives in Fort Collins, Colorado.
To Purchase
Flowering Dogwood Mobile is available in a limited edition of 50.
To find out where to purchase it or any of Carson's work, visit www.moonlilymobiles.com/locations.html
or send an email to limited@moonlilymobiles.com.
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Artist Introduces Flowering Dogwood Mobile
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Moon-Lily Silk Mobiles