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BOXES beyond borders

Category: Paper

An Old Song

Recently, a collection of my poetry entitled, Common Ancestry was published by Mille Grazie Press. The title of the poem and several others, including An Old Song, were written remembering my grandmother, Curruth Drummond Kincaid. Her picture as a young woman graces the cover of the book. All that I do- from poetry to politics- has its genesis in my grandmother’s life. She always spoke of the influences of her grandmother, Chestine Foster, and her aunt, Ada Foster. I was her firstborn grandchild and went to live with her in Marion, North Carolina, just before my 5th birthday in 1948. She died in 1997 at the age of 97. Here I have used her picture taken at age 94. The picture of me, circa age 45, was taken by my friend, Specs Powell.

This box is covered with purple star-studded paper which wrapped a book I received as a thank-you gift from a teacher and friend, Marianne Rossant. The book was her mother’s memoir of growing up in Egypt and in France, the birthplaces of her parents. My friend, Margaret Matson, instructed me in the art of paper maché. The poem is printed on a computer scanned version of the wrapping paper. The star on top of the box, part of a gift from my friend, Abigail Albrecht, symbolizes my namesake, Sojourner Truth, whose dying words were, “I’m going home like a shooting star”.

Thanks for the help to Rod Rolle, Margaret Matson, and Tom Long.

AN OLD SONG
Sojourner Kincaid Rolle

I have no new voice
it is the same old voice
the voice of my mother
calling
for her daughter
captive of Kaleidoscopic mirrors
the voice of her mother crying
for her daughters
lost
in the mill village
singing for the hill pople
dancing for nickels

Old as the voice of her
mother screaming for
daughters taller than
herself   tall as the
Carolina pines   taller
than her predators
tall enough to speak
above heads of
inferiors   old as
the voice of her mother
singing from the deep
recesses of her humming
heart   deep where
the memory began
to be played over
for the forgetting

Mother’s Love

A Mother’s Everlasting Love

From that very first breath we take
That first moment when we awake
We feel the warmth of her embrace
See the wondrous smile on her face

Through the years of joy and sadness too
She’s always there to comfort you
When time then comes to leave the nest
She’ll miss us knowing it’s for the best.

When her turn comes, her job now done
She’s cared for you and everyone
Within that treasured family
Her love continues for you and me.

The Dance of Life

Artist from India

The box represents the oceans and earth, embellished with the symbol Om; this is the sound of our breath or Pranava. Inside, gold dust is the precious earth we must cherish, upon which Natraj, the Lord of Dance, dances the dance of life. On the lid, is Hukam हुकम.

I seek the blessings of the Tibetan prayer flags, the vibrational frequency of Om, and the sheer liberation of Hukum (surrender) to continue this dance with intention and purpose. The Tibetan flags carry our prayers via the wind to get them answered. The flags represent the five elements. White flags symbolize clouds, red for fire, green for water, yellow for earth, and blue for the sky. The mantras spread positive energy wherever they are.

Om- The sacred syllable
Mani- Jewel
Padme- Lotus
Hum- Spirit of enlightenment

A box of stories

Artist from India

This is a box of stories- stories of how these women have inspired me, directly or indirectly. It is also full of ghosts-countless nameless/faceless other females who through their words or actions kindle our desire to tackle our Deepest Fears, prompt us to Brave the Wilderness or galvanize us into action. It is through them that I have learned to respect strength, not power; value the lotus-like ability to thrive in muddy waters and appreciate all that I have. Because I have so much… Most of all, I have the company of these brave souls.

Bringing all of my Life Experiences to the Public Table

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Rep. Anna Eshoo, CONGRESSWOMAN FROM CALIFORNIA and Laura Deem, ARTIST

Anna Eshoo’s life experiences have helped to shape her into the person she is today and the way that she represents her constituents in Congress. Her role as a parent, daughter, wife, student, teacher, woman, caretaker and friend have all come into play.

The handwritten slips of paper contain Anna’s private thoughts, memories and experiences. These personal topics feed into a “public table”. This public table is a communal meeting place that houses issues, projects and policies with which Anna Eshoo is involved as a Congresswoman.

The objects represent both the private and public world. Combined they weave together an individual narrative of the many hats that we wear, the experiences that accompany them, and the ones we chose to share with the rest of the world.

Transitive / Transform

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Joan Ling, INNOVATOR AND ADVOCATE FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA and Ann Lindbeck, ARTIST

Contents of Trunk:

A letter ordering lumber by Pablo Neruda

Accordian landscape

Key to a China trunk

Map of California

Map of China

Architectural drawing

 

 

War Box

Since time began, mothers have nurtured, loved, taught, protected, cherished and raised their babies, then watched them grow to be killed in war or by war. This inevitable cycle will repeat itself for untold generations unless our mothers’ universal plea to Stop The Killing results in WAR NO MORE!

New Soul-Sole

As I move through this life I have…

Change has always been inevitable in these short years since I was born.  I have re-invented, moved, transformed.  Each time I fly high up in the sky, I look down imagining what will come.  When I arrive at these new places, I resole my soul and begin walking.

The Little Engine That Could

When I received the box I thought, “Why me? I’m not an artist”, but the box itself intrigued me.  I loved its fragrance, its smooth lines and the fact that it could hold my secrets or be open with the story I wanted to tell.  Almost immediately, the box became a train for me.

Growing up in Denmark I was very familiar with fairy tales, and I thought the train would become part of my own fairy tale. But as I worked on the train, it took on the intensity of the American children’s book, The Little Engine That Could.

I came to the United States when I was twenty-one years old with the dream in my heart that I could start my life over again. And I could. And I did. I am a wife to a wonderful husband, I have two beautiful grown children who love me. After years as a psychotherapist and consultant, I decided to become a toffee maker. It gives me great joy to create something sweet that brings joy to so many people.

After the train was finished I was on board as The Queen of Toffee, waving to the crowd. I was right back in my Danish fairy tale where I had started out, and I think I’ll stay there.
 

Global Vision

As a child, I lived in Europe for several years, enabling me to feel connected to other peoples, languages and customs. Always collecting objects from my travels at a young age, I was preparing to become the artist I am now – an assembler of a great variety of objects, textures and colors.

My goal from an early age was to “become a part of all I have met.” Living in California for most of my adult life it has been easy for me to experience aspects of many cultures, as so many people from all over the world live here.

My box is very much about a global view. I chose international postage stamps, with images of women, to cover the box. The “I/EYE scroll” contained within the box includes my quote from above and images of the human eye which approximate the shape of our planet.

I feel that Women beyond borders is first and foremost an expression of clear and profound communication between cultures – a communication that I know will enrich and inspire the lives of many of the women who are participating for many years to come.

I look forward to the new friendships that will be created as a result of our efforts.

 

Untitled

The scrolls contain the following of my poems in free letter distribution:

Enfold                                          
the planet earth
world-encompassing
make it resound
with the small
and stammering voice
with the stammering
and gathering call
with the word
that was in the beginning
and worked with the breath
of regeneration
within you and me
enfold the planet earth
And do not forget the animals
our wordless siblings
do not betray them
for they crave justice
just as we do
return their dignity
return their rights of life
to them only thus may
the secret of human being
be rediscovered
as a light in the darkness
in the name of all
that lives and breathes
do not forget the animals
our wordless siblings
do not betray and market them
take not their dignity
away from them

Untitled

I treated the box as an objet trouve, a modest thing with some forgotten purpose in its past. Upon being discovered, it brings to mind associations, and memories which unfold and spread out when the box is opened. Part object, part landscape, the image within the box does not recall a specific locus; rather, it reminds us of things that we know are memories. But these are stored in such distant lands that they cannot be conjured, they can only be gazed over.

The Mummified Stone Heart

The central focus is a very special stone heart found on the Pacific coast at the equator. It has an uncommon green color. a heart with many scars. Once it was split, but love was able to hold it together and unify what had been separated.

Sorrow leaves wounds; joy brings peace.
This heart has found its peace.
Its wounds have healed.
The purpose of life was fulfilled; the eternal cycle of birth to life and death to a new life.
This heart has been embalmed; first if has been cleaned from all perishables.
The nucleus remained, one with the nature.
For women all over the world and over all times it might be a symbol for love;
isn’t the woman love’s keeper?
Love is immortal.
Faith and hope in the victory of love might be the symbol of humankind in the next millennium.

NOTE: This embalmed heart has been wrapped with golden ribbons, placed on a plate of slate from the Andes, and bedded in a stone sarcophagus.  The feather of a white swan symbolizes the purity of the heart.  As grave goods, there are two sealed papyrus rolls perpetuating the heart’s qualities. This project contains symbols from four different continents (America, Asia, Europe, Africa).

Following Examples: An Exhibition

Because I am a curator and not an artist, I decided to organize a miniature show for Women Beyond Borders. The 10 featured artists were given a dimension of 1-1/4 x 2-3/4 inches and told to make something flat. The visual artists I invited are people whose work, lives and friendships have inspired and informed my life in a meaningful way.  This is an extremely personal project and I wish I could have included something by all the others whose creative lives have proven to be exceptional examples to follow.

Barbara Berk
Angie Bray
Karen Brown
Jacqueline Cooper
Eileen Cowin
Kim Cridler
Kathy Haddad
Danielle Imperiale
Sari Roden
Liza Ryan

Women’s History/Prehistory

Black Box- Hidden Wisdom, what we know and have forgotten

Black Stone- For the Great Black Magma Mother

Opening Book- History of Women’s Mysteries, linked one to another, through our Blood, through Time.

Images are not designed to explain, but to expand awareness.

Flor de Canela

My box is an expression of myself. Now others will know who I really am.
I did not have an original box, but built a bigger one with my husband. All objects and photos are symbolic.

Re:Mapping

When I was asked to create a box for this project, I wanted to use ideas and images representing the spirit behind Women Beyond Borders. I found a 1957 atlas with a world map and an accompanying text, which are very anachronistic relics of the Cold War era. More than 40 years later we have seen a myriad of changes in borders resulting from our late 20th century, capitalist, post-colonial, multi-national, global politics. More importantly, we know only too well the tragedies that have ensued when multitudes of human beings are displaced and dislocated from their homes and homelands.

On this box I attempt to re-map the world to show the arbitrary and contrived nature of geo-political borders. While many countries appear as they are today, some nations no longer exist and others have yet to be established. I have tried to de-contextualize the borders to remind us how they are always in flux. Inside the box is an idealistic and paternalistic text fragment from the atlas, a bittersweet reminder of a 1950’s American dream that has all but collapsed as we approach the year 2000. The text on the lid is my own bit of wishful thinking: Even though boundaries will undoubtedly persist to exist, hopefully they will not continue to prevent us from moving freely across borders.

 

Letting It All Hang Out

This box is sort of a self-portrait.  It is about me, anyway.  It represents some of the things inside of me that I like, get pleasure from, are positive and good, and that I am grateful for in my life.  It’s a celebration.

 

Come on Breathe!

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Dolores Huerta, SOCIAL ACTIVIST, LABOR LEADER AND CO-FOUNDER OF UNITED FARM WORKERS

Grace Elizabeth Davis, WRITER, MOTHER AND MARATHON RUNNER

These trophies are awards to the plights that we face as women.

Dolores Huerta wanted to help her students who came to class barefoot and hungry. Through her community work she co-founded the United Farm Workers Union. At 76 years old she continues to lecture and lobby for the UFW, a model used by global labor unions as a testimony to the rights of workers.

Grace Davis, writer/runner/mother, known for “Katrina Relief” brought aid to the hurricane victims of New Orleans, the first to use blogging as a medium in disaster relief.

In our endeavors, our lives can be in danger, our pasts can haunt us, our vulnerabilities can be exposed.

Unselfishly, women strive to be all things to everyone; we endure the odds guided by our passion to care for our world families.

State of Grace

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Grace Elizabeth Davis, WRITER, MOTHER AND MARATHON RUNNER and Terry Acebo Davis, ARTIST

These trophies are awards to the plights that we face as women.

Grace Davis, writer/runner/mother, known for “Katrina Relief” brought aid to the hurricane victims of New Orleans, the first to use blogging as a medium in disaster relief.

In our endeavors, our lives can be in danger, our pasts can haunt us, our vulnerabilities can be exposed.

Unselfishly, women strive to be all things to everyone; we endure the odds guided by our passion to care for our world families.

Ambient Light

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Amy Reisenbach, DIRECTOR OF CURRENT PROGRAMMING FOR CBS PARAMOUNT TELEVISION and Sukey Bryan, ARTIST

When Amy and I talked on the phone, I was very moved by her embrace of the people around her, her enjoyment of her work, and pleasure she gets from being in nature. A significant experience that we hold in common is that we have both lived through the death of members of our immediate families. Several times she said, “Don’t take things for granted”.

I covered the entire box with an image of water, an ever-changing and unpredictable source of life — as a metaphor of awareness and appreciation of the life and lives that surrounds us. The inside of the box and the inside of the lid are gold like the constant inner self that reflects light.

 

Map-Labyrinth

I opened the box’s door, I took off its top and I glued it to the bottom part to be a pedestal.  Then I painted the whole box in white and sealed it, following its shape with pieces of Plexiglas, on which appear (through the method of décollage that I have been using since 1974) fragmented images which constitute my labyrinths.  By this symbolic gesture of encasement and transparency, I hide away forever and protect the most precious feeling that remains buried at the bottom of this box since the time of Pandora;  Hope.

Framing Life, Memories, and Wisdom

Tajima. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Susannah Malarkey, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR OF THE TECHNOLOGY ALLIANCE OF WASHINGTON and MalPina Chan, ARTIST.

The form of the square frame suggests strength and solidity making it an appropriate metaphor for Susannah. From the first few moments of our initial conversation, we felt a connection as we shared memories about our mothers and daughters. Susannah’s feelings on “wise women who came before passing on and sharing their life’s lessons” and the notion of “tribal memories” serves as the inspiration for this piece.

Tread Carefully

I have attempted to interpret the fragility of human nature, the openness and the trust which gradually closes from fear and self preservation. “Remember The Day Someone Gave You A Chance” is from a non violence poster, in it a lid had lifted from a jar and a butterfly flew free, free from fear, free to dream, to imagine, to love and to be loved.

Tomiko Fraser Revealed

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

TOMIKO FRASER, MAYBELLINE SPOKESPERSON/ACTRESS

Tomiko Fraser has benefitted greatly in her life from mentoring and, in return, wishes to nurture and empower other women. An exuberant, playful woman, she has been able to find her way and break free of the confines of others’ expectations.

In appreciation of Faith Ringgold and her painted story quilt “Sunflower Quilting Bee of Arles” (1991) and the women depicted within.

 

Untitled

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Elizabeth Rice-Grossman, BUSINESSWOMAN AND PHILANTHROPIST, SUPPORTER TO THE CIRCLE OF CARE FOUNDATION and Catie O’Leary, ARTIST

Images used in these collages represent Elizabeth Rice-Grossman — her life, influences and concerns, benefitting those near her home in Ventura County.

Images are personal symbols meant to represent her life, such as:

San Francisco – map, horses

New York – stock market

Hawaii – orchids

Theater – Arts for Kids, Nutcracker

African American authors

Grossman Burn Center

Migrant farmer housing

Americare – senior care

Memory TV – Circle of Care

The past enables the present

Genevieve’s Traveling Transformation Box

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

Genevieve Smith, CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER, WASHINGTON MUTUAL BANK and Barbara Earl Thomas, ARTIST

I shut the door on that house where I’d lived for 30 years. I never looked back. I can live anywhere.

Maybe it wasn’t exactly like that but that’s what I think I heard her say. From the Amazon to the city, one thing remains, Genevieve is constant, solid and clear putting on and taking off whatever the season calls for, but inside she remains the spring of her own life force, Genevieve.

Gen’s selected quote:

“The aim of life is self-development. To realize one’s nature perfectly – that is what each of us is here for.” – Oscar Wilde

A Sock and a Soap

In the pine box I placed a soap from the collection of ‘Human Body Smell’ soaps.  Over the box and the soap in it I pulled the inside out turned sock with some feathers sewed on it.  Both things I got in my studio where at the same time I work as a woman and live as a bird.

 

How To

I collect “how to” illustrations, the drawings that come on packages that show you how to use the product. For this box, I made three scrolls with my copies of those illustrations.  I used instructional drawings from health books, dental floss, box cutters, screwdrivers,chopsticks and Hi-8 tapes.  They are packed tightly inside the box, a representation of the jumble of rules.

Welcome to La La Land

Culver City Highschool. Grade 11.

My box represents my life and being a high school student in a modern world, which is all crazy. I titled this piece Welcome To La La Land because my nickname is Lala and I wanted to show a glimpse of my life. Well, what I wanted to say about myself was that, I am a quiet person but inside I am crazy, confused and talkative, but I keep it locked inside most of the time. Inside, I put little things that represent me and keys, which is the thing that will open the box (myself). I see finding the keys is like finding you, the key that will open you to the world. I have little things that can’t remain in the box like my creativity, self-expression and friendship. I feel that most people are like me and until you find yourself, you can’t find the key that will help you open up and allow you to be more yourself.

The monarch trapped in their expectations, reducing the imperial ruler into a mere puppet controlled by golden strings.

Life Cycle

The leaves will dry up and grow old
The child will grow blood

The aging of the leaves represents the worry women have about growing old, but they are beautiful and they remain beautiful as they change.

Blood is also thought of as negative, but it is within us all- man, too. We have it to remind us of children every month. The hope in the future, despite change, children are precious jewels.

Dreams of Dancing

Idee Levitan, an artist and patron of the arts, world traveler, lifelong philosophy student, adventure seeker, mountain climber, wife, friend, and proud member of a most independent sisterhood of polio survivors, died before she had the opportunity to work on the Women Beyond Borders project.  The virgin box was among the mementos Idee’s husband sent to me.  My dearest soulmate, Elena Mary Siff, invited me to create a tribute to Idee’s spirit so that Idee might be a part of an intriguing and profound exhibition she would have heartily embraced.  The Wheel Chair could not contain her Dreams of Dancing…

 

Opportunity Gap

This box purports to show the great disparity of living standards in the United States and the enormous differences in the haves and the have-nots.

In the 1970’s I photographed migrant workers in central Florida. The situation there was not too different from the photographs taken by the Farm Security Administration in the Thirties and the situation is the same today. In one camp far from civilization the workers lived in converted buses with 1 toilet and shower facility for over 70 people. The children did not attend schools as they were too far away. When the government finally closed the camp, they simply moved further into the outback.

Whole families worked the groves, including young children, but that was the only way the families could earn enough for the day.

Contrast this with the luxurious life styles of some today. There is a widening gap between the rich and the poor. As technology dominates the employment field, those with little education are doomed to low paying or no jobs at all. Our society is becoming more stratified economically.

Red Box of Hope

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box.

CRISTINA CORLA, SURVIVOR CONTESTANT AND POLICE OFFICER and ANN GENZON, ARTIST
Red Box of Hope represents survival, endurance, determination, perseverance, and the promise of hope through one’s life.

Life is charged with challenging situations and wonderful moments as well. Life is a journey, life is a gift.

It is within every human being that travels to the roads of life, to develop the ability to close certain doors forever and to open the newfound doors of hope, faith and wisdom.

It is within every woman to find the courage necessary to overcome complex, dangerous and sometimes confusing messages unveiled in the act of opening these doors. It is within every woman to find the strength to lock forever these doors, and find the right door that leads to THE RED BOX OF HOPE.

Emerge: Each Holy Remain

This book/box was produced for the 1999 leg of the Women Beyond Borders show.  Its surfaces covered with gesso (support for intricate graphite drawings) and gold leaf, includes a reliquary indicating potential life, death, and  emergence into light. The 52-page book pictures detritus from daily living, preserved by attentive drawing and watercolor: seeds, bones, plant tips, shells, buds, nuts, skeletons.

I know that there are lives much tougher than my own, and that I am enormously privileged to luxuriate in the poignant beauty of the commonplace. I hope that we all sometimes have the opportunity to pause and consider, even in the helpless despair of suffering and the frustrating reality of working so hard so often for our own survival; physical, spiritual, intellectual and emotional, and that of our loved ones, as well as all sentient beings.

A Cricket

I used to think, in my childhood, if the wonder and beauty of flowers I see is the same as the one my playmate sees. Though I regard their color as ‘yellow’ and so does she, can our ‘yellow’ be the same?

When you see an object, you see not only it itself, but also some experience and memory which you picture to yourself by seeing it. If the brightness you see is different from one I see, and if so, are the views, the climate and the smells you have seen and sensed also different? This work of mine you’re looking at may be different from the way I see it.

But such a difference can make our lives more complicated and richer and reveal who we are.

Did you want to Come In?

This piece explores the dialogic relationship in question and response.  The speaker of the question, did you want to come in? –which is computer printed text repeated- this speaker is absent in image but present because of the text.  The viewer is alone with the question and asked to respond but in a monologic way.  The dichotomy between one way communicating and communication, an interactive experience, is brought out in the piece through its own dichotomy – the answer is not provided for the viewer.

 

Lost Butterflies

Where have all the mothers gone?
Off like butterflies in the wind.
All to great deeds of glory
Then on to new beginnings again.
The chrysalis of life is a never ending bond
Until the end of time.
Where have all the mothers gone?
Lost the most precious gift, a child of mine.

 

Throne for a Smart Princess

the box is turned around
the helplessness of a woman is turned around.

a throne is created
creativity and self-confidence are experienced and rewarded.

Following the idea of Grimm’s fairy tale, the princess had only one chance to get her golden ball from the depth of the well: she had to promise to share her whole life with the helper, a frog.  As a smart woman she does not want to accept this type of dependence and help and so she finds a new solution to solve the problem.

Revelation

“To laugh often
and much, to win
the respect of
intelligent people
and the affection
of children, to earn
the appreciation
of honest critics
and endure the
betrayal of false
friends, to
appreciate beauty,
to find the best
in others,

to leave the world
a bit better, whether
by a healthy child,
a garden patch…
to know even one
life has breathed
easier because
you have lived.
This is to have
succeeded!”

-Emerson

Num-Num

There is the inside, the outside and all around, there is life, there is death and other lives, there is oneself, none and all the others, there is light, dark and dusk, there is laughter, there is brightness, transparency and it can be opaque.

There is but, maybe and also, a little, nothing, and all the colors, all the fantasies, all the eyes, all the souls, all the sounds, all the noises…

…there is everything in and under every form.

 

Al Cuore del Cuor

My connection and admiration for my fellow women grow ever stronger as I grow older. This was to have been the theme of my box.

My father died in my arms a short while ago, calling “Mama.” How varied, how interchangeable, how understanding of the incomprehensible we must be. How I strive to trust my instinct that taps deep, deep, deep into the strength, the capacity, the tenacity of a woman.

My box is for my father, whom I miss with all my hearts. He was a painter, he taught me to see.

Withdrawal

Withdrawal into a coffin, which feels like a tub that may only be locked from the inside.

Withdrawal like a hurt fox withdraws into her fox-den to lick her wounds to put one’s dreams in order.

One, who is carried inside by some people anyway, becomes only rarely visible for the outside. (Only few can feel and understand the distance originating thereof, and are therefore especially close) from life, from the existence.

To bring dying to an end & to begin anew.

 

 

Couple

When two do not recognize their internal forces they remain prisoners of their facade and they add this facade to the other.  Thus inevitably they will be attached to each other by an intricate chain, forgetting their own space, staying knotted and desperately isolated.

Kristine’s Hope Chest

The central character in this visual story is the Hope Chest.  I play a secondary role and I am represented here by the paper mache figure with the hole in her soul and an exposed heart.  The setting “Life” is a jigsaw puzzle piece cut from a chess board.

The first things to be taken out of the chest are my sketchbook and pencil.  There are three other items on the board and they symbolize external influences that always shadow my moves.

The contents of the chest are: two teddy bears, a doll, a key, a warm knitted blanket, a couple of books, paintings (my work and that of others), pencils, a tin angel and bits of coloured wire.  All these items are needed by this nest builder to turn a room or apartment into HOME.

The colourful tin angel was given by a friend, here it means friendships and friends who are sometimes angels.

The colourful curly corkscrew bits of wire are the wonder and amazement that I carry around with me.

On the inside of the lid is a rejection notice from the New Yorker Magazine, and a letter written by my granny when she was 65.  She lived and died in Latvia.  She learned enough English to cobble together a now cherished letter to her 10 year old granddaughter.

I write a lot of letters and the stamps are the decals from my travels by mail.

Garden of Life

Friends are the flowers in the garden of life. My flower gardens bring much pleasure to myself as well as many others. Through gardening and art, I have made many friends who enrich my life. Friends in far-reaching places oftentimes come to mind. I like to think of them as flowers given to me in my garden of life. True blessings.

It is my hope that my box will convey to others how important friends are. May my little traveling garden bring a smile to the viewer, along with a reminder of someone special—a flower placed in their garden of life.

Dice of Life

Dice of Life represents the various facets of life and the decisions people have to make in life. The wire mesh box represents institutions in which we are governed by: society, family, government. The dice represents the different phases in life and the kinds of decision we have to make. We make decisions every day and for each decision, the outcome is unpredictable. Like throwing the dice, we do not know what the answer may be. Every decision is very crucial and often there is no turning back. But once decided, this decision will be carried out, maybe for the rest of our lives, or maybe part of our lives. Whether the outcome is good or bad, it is up to us to make something out of it. This work is personal for me as I was once a single working lady and had to make a sacrifice in order to have a family.

Project Recipe Box

This is a collaborative effort by mail/email, having started in December 2000 and will conclude December 2002. It asks participants to contribute a recipe from their mothers. The word recipe is open to interpretations: memories/ remedies/ conversations that occur in the kitchen/ contents of a pre-packed lunch/ etc. This is a simple project, based on a chain of words – women/ mothers/ cooking/ kitchen – used within a simplistic context of a stereotype, there are many distinct and different identities. In a kitchen, each woman develops multiple and complex ways to deal with the role of mother cooking. This role (one associated with sugar-coated sentiments) is also the same role that allows a woman (who may have been defaulted into the kitchen) some measures of control over her family. The kitchen can be a very powerful or oppressive place depending on the woman occupying it. I would like to think that every mother occupied it differently. I hope that this project (a small and incomplete record of their many facets) may serve as a humble but deserving tribute to all our mothers. And if it fails to do that, it is at least, a collection of recipes to some very delicious and precious dishes.

The Women's Voices: Ye Shu Fang from WOMEN BEYOND BORDERS on Vimeo.

Bacalah!

The contemporary Malay woman has been able to breakthrough poverty and tradition, from being illiterate to literate. Through the education system, the contemporary Malay woman has contributed to the community through her professional practice/skill. By using a box as a boundary confined to a space, I have inverted the box and carved into it ‘half ‘ patterns to imply the act of being out of the boundary. Entitled Bacalah! which means read, the journal resting on the box represents the spread of knowledge to the masses through a learning process. The inversion of the box with the journal alludes to the breakthrough that the contemporary Malay woman has made and that she is no longer being confined. As learning should start at a tender age where ‘the children of today shape the community of tomorrow’, an image of a child appears on the open page of the journal. The documentation for this project reflected in the journal was carried out in the form of a survey among Malays and non-Malays on their perceptions of the contemporary Malay woman.

 

Untitled # 1

My love for boxes goes way back in time…It was triggered in me as a child when I was enchanted by all the silken colors, embroidery and sweets that came out of my grandmother’s old wooden box. And at that time, we lived in a yet bigger stone box that reeked of lemon and jasmine flowers. The color of its cover was interchangeable, ranging between bright sky blue to a shade of azure and it seemed as if it were decorated with stars. But there was always someone who broke my boxes that contained me and I them…

Think Local, Act Local

Santa Barbara focuses within its boundaries by caring for its people and environment, which causes a domino effect. The effect touches locally, but also worldwide. Santa Barbara is a jewel by the sea. Fishing is an integral part of the local economy. The sailing vessel made out the box exemplifies our location and the many wonderful sights and sounds that await tourists who touch our shores.

We “locals” touch the world community by our friendly hospitality and we offer tourists numerous and varied experiences to understand the American lifestyle. We care for ourselves, therefore we care for and respect others in all parts of the world. We have many organizations that support world-wide causes, such as Direct Relief International and Jean Michael Cousteau’s Heal the Ocean. We are seeking ways to maintain a homogenous community to assimilate all walks of life and when anyone encounters our beautiful city, he or she may also “think local and act local”.

Overflowing

As the world’s population increases at alarming rates, heavy human consumption is producing drastic amounts of waste and garbage. Landfills are overflowing and space for containing our trash is limited. This box represents Earth’s limited available space for containing our waste. By recycling, we can collectively help to prolong the Earth’s beautiful and natural elements.

Worship

I see the work as a process linked to the practices of a community. The reflection of self and interaction with community run parallel to the notion of time and rituals. The work explores the idea of a mystical journey of life and hope. Imbued with energy, the yellow box is evolved around acts of cleansing, purifying and healing. The choice of materials used in this work reflects this concept.

Ask for Guidance

When I started this project, I had a general idea of what I wanted to say and how I would do it. However, once I started beading it began to take on a life of its own. For one thing, the beading took much longer than anticipated, which forced me to slow down and enjoy the process.

Beading is a mechanical type of thing which allows contemplation while still doing the work. It began to look a bit different than I planned and time was getting short so while I beaded, I literally asked for guidance and trusted that this would lead me somewhere. Is it a pillow, a blanket, a symbol?…it is any and all of these things and a place to rest and to think. The idea to glue messages to the box came as I beaded. Lesson learned.

“All you need to do to receive guidance is to ask for it and then listen.” Sanaya Roman

“Learn to get in touch with the silence within yourself and know that everything in this life has a purpose.” Elizabeth Kubler-Ross

 

Sparkle of Life

Coca-Cola Box Project.

Many years ago after a long and hot morning of doing house chores, my exhausted and thirsty mother would unexpectedly rush through the door. Intrigued, I would rapidly tie my worn out shoes and head to the kitchen. There holding a bottle, as if it were the last one left in the world, was my mom. As she drank it, a smile would slowly illuminate her face. Noticing my curiosity, she pointed at the bottle and said, “This is the sparkle of life.”

In a convulsive world of dispute over territory, religion and culture, men and women face a daily struggle searching for solutions to make this planet a better one for everybody. What has for many years been missing however, is the perspective of the real sparkle of life: The Woman. Just as Coca-Cola illuminated my mother’s eyes, this world would benefit greatly by considering more seriously the ideas and propositions of the woman. So, the purpose of this project was simply to portray and honor the woman not only as the sparkle of life but as the queen of the universe.

 

Parcel

My artistic endeavors dwell on questioning the ideal body portrayed by popular culture, by way of designing and making prosthetic garments that allow small people to be what they are not; awkwardly tall, beer-gutted, seat-spillers and generally voluminous. The combination of humor, formal relationships and social commentary are also mixed in most of my site-specific installations.

Today Women

Women in today’s world have various facets, she is expected to fulfill multiple roles and there exist many issues which demands her time and energy.  The 4 sides of the box depict today women various circles of concern;

Family- She has to fulfill the role of good daughter to her parents, a loving wife to her husband and of course, a caring mother to her children.  She doesn’t only need to spend quality time with each but is also expected to keep in touch with their worlds, traditions and trends. Hence, observation of traditional customs such as Chinese New Year, celebrating Valentine’s day, knowing the difference between Ash, Pikachu and Teletubbies…the list goes on.

Career- She is naturally the co-bread winner, especially in Singapore’s society. In a knowledge based economy she has to fulfill the expectations and obligations of a model employee. She is expected to be efficient, innovative, receptive to the ever changing corporate identity (mergers and acquisitions making it more exciting), requirements and culture.

Social- In between all the juggling, she keeps herself updated of the news, happenings, fashion, trends, movies, television programs (even if she has no time for them–at least she must know what’s showing!) And definitely, squeeze in time for friends, neighbors, and maybe even some charitable work.

Self-Intellectual/Spiritual/Physical- In an increasingly borderless world, life long learning is becoming the norm–continuous education, for the diploma holders–the dream is to obtain a degree.  For the degree holders, the aim is to complete an MBA, for the MBA and MSC holders–a Ph.D.? Today, women must keep in touch with the internet world–or else she would be lost in the sea of information.

Health is important too–so time is needed for exercise.  Of course, not to forget spiritual needs as well.

Reflection- Today women, to perform her roles well–is that a challenge or an expectation?  In today society, there is no other alternative, so today women must make best of whatever resource she has, develop her skills, increase her knowledge and extend her circle of influence–with the sole objective of playing her roles well.

 

Spill It, A Veil of Truth

Coca-Cola Box Project.

The idea for our box originated from a website that the Coca-Cola company published called Spill It. Contained within the site were thousands of messages by people all around the world who just wanted to spill their minds and share with others. The box, covered with small pieces of aluminum Coca-Cola cans found in trash cans around the campus, is overflowing with little scrolls of personalized messages from whoever wanted to contribute.

Remnants

Remnants references my many, may years as a working artist, particularly as a printmaker. I selected remnants from 30 years of art-making into the contained box, making my own sort of small “retrospective”. Working on this piece brought up a wide spectrum of memories, thoughts and emotions – and the toil and labor that go into a work of art. I consider myself a very fortunate person.

Creation

This piece of art represents a woman with a steadfast and proud posture. She sits and carries in her lap the continuity of life: her own children. Her face reads of dignity. She carries on her head a pot with a dove: the symbol of love and peace. She creates and conveys life, pride and peace.
 
Medium: clay mixed with copper oxide, cobalt oxide, magnesium oxide, iron oxide and some kaolin as well as a wooden box

Granfaloon of 3

I adored my maternal grandmother and gave my daughter her name. Isabella. One day when my daughter was a tiny girl, she said to me, out of the blue, “Remember when I was the big lady and you were the little girl? Wasn’t  that fun?” It was fun.

My Grandmother

Coca-Cola Box Project.

As long as I can remember my grandmother in Mexico always bought seven bottles of Coca-Cola a week. She has one bottle a day: a few ounces in the morning mixed with two raw eggs; a few ounces with lunch; and the rest with her dinner. She never drinks water at all, just the Coke. She is ninety-two years old.

 

Island of Many Pleasures

Welcome to Singapore, truly inspiring city where East meets West.  A Country with a unique array of rich ethnic cultures.  A vibrant city with many exotic, exciting and extraordinary attractions for visitors. Visitors should be able to feel the spirit of harmonious Singaporean living together as ONE UNITED PEOPLE REGARDLESS OF RACE, LANGUAGE OR RELIGION. Let the World be UNITED like Singapore and there shall be PEACE & HARMONY.

Personal Affairs

The little book attached, describes the origin of the fabric (where it was woven and printed), its purpose (as far as it could be tracked down) and most important the donor. The donors are all women who I have got to know in Singapore (except my mother who has visited me in Singapore for 4 months). The box might be seen as synonym for the female body (or at least part of it), all those pieces of different fabric stand for the colorful, multi-layered women personalities.  The chain at which the little book is attached has a meaning too: It stands for all women who have not freed themselves from a world which is still very much male-dominated.

I Would Still Like to Have…er…Chewing Gum

The ban of chewing gum a decade ago has caused quite a stir not only in Singapore but internationally too.  Although it may seem to be a trivial act or even unimportant matters in a political dimension, it has nonetheless created some public awareness of how far an average citizen can tolerate this form of authoritarian regime.

 

As a law-abiding citizen of Singapore, I have no choice but to give up one of my favorite habits and life’s little luxury during my younger days.  Nowadays, we can still spot someone chewing gum discreetly in public especially on board of public transport.  It’s not a big crime or anything like that as long as it is disposed properly into the bins.  Although the government has shown a good degree of tolerance, it is still against the law to sell or import chewing gum.

 

I still chew gums that I brought back from overseas and enjoy blowing big bubbles like I used to so; what’s a little law-breaking gonna do to me?

 

Fannie’s Soap Box: The Story of an American Cheerleader

Tajima Box Project. An artist and an extraordinary woman collaborate to create a box. 

Fannie Flagg, ACTRESS, COMEDIAN, AND AUTHOR with Ramona Otto, ARTIST.

When I was told that I would be doing a piece on Fannie Flagg, I was honored. We are from the same generation, and I’ve always enjoyed her TV and film work, and was impressed that she was also a brilliant author and screenwriter. Because word play is often a part of my work, my original thought was to make the box into a soapbox, and then I could make the theme into whatever message was important to Fannie.

Fannie’s wish was to have a positive art piece because she was tired of all the negative art and energy being released into the world. She hoped her piece could reflect that life was good.

I hope my title gives a whole new meaning to the word “cheerleader.”

 

 

New Population

The characters presented in my box are called New Population and are a part of a larger fictive universe called New Civilization.

My fictive universe is a subjective/allegorical system that develops and analyzes simultaneously. It consists of digital characters, sampled from objects within contemporary culture that exist in the threshold of the future. They are teaching us how it is to feel electronic.

The New Population observe the ever growing, omnipresent, mythical, and still becoming…culture (and beyond that).

As the creator, I observe, name and classify. The only conclusion I have been able to make so far is that these might be Holy People.

Mimo

Now, we humankind encounter a life crisis that we have never met before. This crisis may have been brought upon by the competition for “superiority” and “profit” for such things which each person belongs to, as the nation, peoples and sex…etc. I wonder how we can surmount this serious condition? Can we evade the collapse and find out the light of hope in the twenty-first century?

A primitive man held awe and respect to the universe and nature. We should bring them to life intensely and lower our head and pray sincerely to them. The ancients prayed for the approach to the sacred thing through praying. We should also learn a lesson from their wisdom.

Now each of us must be in immediate need of breaking our little shell of ego and appearing as our universal or spiritual soul which sleeps undeveloped in deep layers.

Painting, building, singing and dancing…these acts are also a prayer itself, I believe.

A Letter to My Mother

The box contains notes with words which were never said to her mother.

Dear Mother,

When I was eighteen, I bought you, with my first salary, a wooden jewelry box. You still keep it, treasuring it. Now, twenty-five years later, I’m giving you this box which treasures words. These are all the words I could have told you during our lives together, but wasn’t able to. These are words I should have told you, dear mother.

Here are all the missing words, just for you. It’s a wonderful opportunity to write them down, to feel their sound within my heart. To prepare a special gift for a special woman: my mother.

Your loving daughter,
Shuli Nachshon

The Women's Voices: Shuli Nachshon, Israel from WOMEN BEYOND BORDERS on Vimeo.

Amazons of the Next Millennium

As the title suggests, my box is a symbol of the Amazons, female warriors, who lived and fought together in a migratory way of life during the golden age. My box is filled with a series of women’s names (two hundred) of all nationalities from antiquity to the present, printed in capital letters, in different colors on white paper tags. Each of the names brings into mind images of a woman we know, we read, we are, or we want to be.

This open box filled with names, which come out from all four sides, becomes almost invisible and signifies the power, the strength, the importance, the influence and the voice we women could achieve working together, for our rights against violence and discrimination at the beginning of the next millennium.

Of Sticks a Stack – a Stake (a Failure?)

Listen, don’t tell anyone: I failed at the object/box (by the way a daily experience, not at all new). But here’s the result, just look at it: everything twisted, turned upside down; the lid, instead of dropping it, has become the basis of a stake (surprise, surprise!). Too small for burning witches, too small for celebrating heroes, but small enough for the kindling of a stirring idea.

Time Capsule

The objective of the project is to approach women of all ages, from all walks of life and of different nationalities, to express their views about what it means to be a woman in this age and time.

They were asked to express their concerns, worries, happiness or grouses, et cetera; basically, any subject that touches their lives and how their lives are affected as a result.

These expressions are kept in the Wbb box which is the Time Capsule.

It will be sealed for now, and it carries an instruction for the curator of Wbb permanent collection to open it fifty years later on 8 January 2051.