Shared Presence

by Jennifer Fleming, Jan Kurtz and Mary Anne Staples

This contemplative mixed media work is the result of a collaboration between three artists with different skills and experiences, merging into an Asian inspired presence. Early discussions considered the various skills that could be contributed by each artist, layer by layer. Each layer represents an individual contribution building strength and complexity while reflecting coexistence and unique differences. Mary Anne Staples creates paintings in watercolor and acrylic media. Her sense of color is showcased in our collaboration. Jennifer Fleming works with textiles and collage. She is drawn to Asian influenced materials like silk and textured papers. Jan Kurtz paints and makes jewelry using metal smithing techniques and wire work like the bronze talismans. All three of these artists are represented by Blue Morning Gallery.

A colorful hand dyed silk scarf drapes across weathered wood flowing like a ceremonial banner, while another black one is tied like a unifying obi. Silk introduces movement and softness, suggesting wind and water, key themes in many eastern philosophies. The irregular folds frame the center like an Asian devotional scroll where collage papers suggest calligraphic script and historical content. The vertical elements suggest an Asian tapestry or a waterfall grounding the work in a sense of place and antiquity. Bronze talismans hang vertically emphasizing ancestral memories and a meditative mood.

Over the course of history, women have worked together to create safe spaces where they can be nurtured, supported and enriched by like-minded others. In our work, each element reflects an individual presence combining, layering, and overlapping these elements allowing them to coexist as a stronger shared presence.