In August, our front page featured an eye-catching visual by Anne Gordon regarding undergrounding Vashon-Maury power lines for fire safety. When we pondered how we might depict Island concerns regarding the potential zoning changes, we thought immediately of Anne. As you can see on the front page, Anne has a wonderful ability to create art that explores current issues in expressive ways.
We asked Anne a few questions about her work.
Loop: Who do you produce art for?
Anne: Usually a customer, but also myself. I do a great deal of experimentation – in fact most of it is experimentation – with technique. For content, I study the world, our society, and get inspired. Everything to me is a story.
How do you perceive art? What triggers your interest and passion to create?
Actually, everything I see is art. It’s all about the balance of light and dark, kind of like life. In our world, one could say we are not always in balance. I perceive art as the juxtapositioning of the incongruent. I combine photography (having been a photographer) with painting, imagination, and technology.
For example, I have files that are called: “faces of war,” “apocalyptic art,” “transhumanists,” and “trees and skies;” I have a series called “When does death begin?” (In reference to climate change [regardless of cause], and tree deaths throughout the world). To do that, I traveled every year to forests in British Columbia, documenting the demise of trees, very sad … heartbreaking. This particular file includes solar radiation management (what we see as lingering criss-crossing white trails). I have many other files reflecting the world as I see it. The passion doesn’t stop, as long as I can still see (bad joke) … I am inspired by that which I see … often that which others do not.
Could you describe your process in developing and creating the Undergrounding visual (“Underground Vashon-Maury Powerlines for Fire Safety”)?
I met this nice lady, Ms. Bell who told me that she was looking for a yard sign (I had no idea what that was). She explained the need to bury electric lines, which could prevent fires. YES, I got that loud and clear, agreeing to do it … My process was, I started with a “graphic” of a flame, and, typical of my processes, used several programs and tools to get the color and message. I have to say it’s complex the way I do an image …usually 3-4 programs/filters, making tons of decisions … and knowing when to stop. I use Photoshop (taught it) … then transfer to another program, then back to Photoshop.
A lot of energy goes into a finished piece.
What drew you to begin creating art this way – digitally mixing photography, images, special effects?
I’ve had a varied background, from photography, being an RN, art teaching, authoring educational books, researching. All these facets plus technologies got mixed up together.
I began mixing media before the computer. It all began at age 6 when my mother showed me colored pencils and watercolors, which I combined. No, I didn’t save that art. However later on, I traded a ring (that gave me bad luck) for a camera, and I was hooked. I began painting on the photographs. People wondered why I was ruining so many pictures. But I learned how to retouch old photos to make them look new. Then in the 90’s, I fell in love with the first painting program, and the second, and the rest is history. When experimenting, it’s all about “what happens when.”
Your Artist Statement concludes with, “Image making is my passion because imagery is the door that freezes time.” Can you tell us more what you mean with this?
So, at the end of the day, we each hold onto our special memories, our events that impact us. We can think our minds remember exactly, but a photo or image captures the memory in a slightly different way than the mind, triggering more. It is a door into a personal esoteric sanctuary. My continued passion revolves around the question: “What is art?” No two people answer that question the same way. My goal is to create images not seen before, created in non-traditional ways.
I do not have any upcoming shows scheduled, though might in the new year. In the meantime, I am thinking of doing car pop ups … or something for the holidays at a bazaar. I did create Robots in Babylon in 2010, which was a prophetic sci fi DVD about our future society in 2020. It is very interesting to see how accurate it was, and can be viewed online at https://vimeo.com/11321292: a grant was awarded for that.