A Life in Full Moons

The moon waxes and wanes above us, independent of our notice, yet is a fundamental rhythm in our life.  Part portrait, parrt biography, this wall installation is made of over 800 3×3″ Shikishi cards, each bearing an ink impression of a Full Moon and its date, from February 1950 to September 2015.  These are the full moons that shone down during a life of 65 years…

Shikishi are rigid paper boards faced with Asian paper; edged in gold paper.  They are often used for callligraphy or small paintings to celebrate holidays and moments of passage by ordinary folks and skilled artisans.  The background “night sky” is indigo acrylic and the moon’s crater pattern is ink painted as meditative calligraphy.  At the bottom of each is the date of the full moon “depicted.”  They are installed in chronological order.  This installation uses acrylic sleeves to protect and hang them on the wall.  I am continuing to think about ways to display so many small pieces…

Ink and acrylic on paper over board.  2018-19