MAREN HASSINGER
Savannah, 2007
Ink on paper
8 1/2 x 11 in. Sheet
10 1/2 x 12 7/8 in. Frame
10 1/2 x 12 7/8 in. Frame
Copyright The Artist
Further images
Hassinger's practice has long centered on Nature as a place where the artist finds peace and harmony. Having previously recreated the natural environment with wire and manmade materials, she now...
Hassinger's practice has long centered on Nature as a place where the artist finds peace and harmony. Having previously recreated the natural environment with wire and manmade materials, she now turns to the written word. The repetition of her script forms a mantra channeling that peace.
"Savannah" is inherently playful, using the written word to toy with artistic concepts like perspective and depth. While the work at first appears completely flat, changing one's perspective allows the script to become the surface of a savannah receding into the background. The repetitions of the titular word evokes the regularity of the plains when viewed from a distance, while the minute differences between each iteration of "savannah" reveals the diversity of plant and animal life that fills such an ecosystem. The land is a powerful force all its own, but is also affected by other aspects of nature such as weather, subjects of the related works "Wind" and "Rain." In this grouping, the written word becomes both a method to channel the latent power of Nature and an allegory for its turbulent beauty. This body of work was conceived during her residency at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, New Orleans.
"Savannah" is inherently playful, using the written word to toy with artistic concepts like perspective and depth. While the work at first appears completely flat, changing one's perspective allows the script to become the surface of a savannah receding into the background. The repetitions of the titular word evokes the regularity of the plains when viewed from a distance, while the minute differences between each iteration of "savannah" reveals the diversity of plant and animal life that fills such an ecosystem. The land is a powerful force all its own, but is also affected by other aspects of nature such as weather, subjects of the related works "Wind" and "Rain." In this grouping, the written word becomes both a method to channel the latent power of Nature and an allegory for its turbulent beauty. This body of work was conceived during her residency at the Joan Mitchell Foundation, New Orleans.