DVAA Members are challenged to make small work in 2022’s Perennial Visions Exhibition

Traditional thinking tells us that constraints are a limitation—something to be avoided. But the fact is, we artists don’t have the same value system of most people. When it comes to art-making, we know the beautiful (and sometimes sinking) feeling that comes with knowing we can make absolutely anything we want. Limitless possibilities! How wonderfully paralyzing!

So for us artists, Instead of it being an obstacle to be feared, a constraint is but an opportunity for invention. Chuck Close once said: “I tried to, with a series of self-imposed limitations, back myself into my own personal corner where nobody else’s answers would fit. I’ve always thought that problem-solving is highly overrated and that problem creation is far more interesting.” I agree, Chuck.

So, for this year’s all-members exhibition Perennial Visions IV, Sam, Bryant and I challenged DVAA members to make artwork that is 6 x 6 inches or smaller. We got over 80 submissions of tiny paintings, sculptures, photos, collages and everything in between. The result exceeded our expections! As Roz Bloom put it, this exhibition turned out to be “a room full of little jewels”. Keep reading to hear from some of the artists of PVIV about their process, experience with the size constraint and the inspiration behind their work.

Ted Warchal

“The "objectness "of this piece was derived from the idea of topographical maps. Specifically, I wanted to house geometric forms in a colored ,3 dimensional format .This 6" x 6" example has a weighty presence.” - Ted

Sally K Eisenberg

At the time I created these pieces, I was in a space of "letting go" with self-talk that no longer served me. The size of 6" x 6" was challenging yet fun. The process of monoprinting made the size limitation much more approachable.

Bill Brookover

6" x 6" was a challenge as I work larger than that. But I had some collagraphs that were based on 5" squares. I had printed them as a grid on a larger piece of paper, so I selected three of them and cut them down and matted them as 6" squares. The picture is one of the grids I cut apart. These were done at Frontline Arts, a community print shop in Branchburg, NJ. So these are pieces of the Branchburg Suite!

Rosalind Bloom

I've always been attracted to the story of Daphne, who flees the amorous advances of Apollo, and is saved by being turned into a tree (by her father or mother, depending on which version you like).

David Heshmatpour

Recently, I've been making miniature landscapes with scrap electronics components and thinking about how the digital world and material reality are converging as two overlapping landscapes that we must learn how to navigate simultaneously in order to survive. As a transplant, I've found Philadelphia to be amazingly inspiring in how people make up for structural disadvantages, and Philadelphians truly inspirational in their willingness to honor a code. The parking cone is iconic as the analog equivalent to the floppy disk.

SOLD

Daniel Neufeld

After scrolling through a number of pieces of mine, these three small square paintings seemed to me like good subjects to consider under the category or theme of Perennial Visions. Each painting is from direct observation from a different travel of mine.

Gloria Klaiman

I welcomed the chance to whimsically focus on a specific sample of nature without much background distraction.

Florence Weisz

First I looked through my stash of substrates and found some 6 x 6 inch wrapped canvasses I had used years ago for early experiments with velcro and striped strips of paper. Feeling that over time I had developed new skills and ideas, I was ready to make new art using pieces from an ever growing collection of my striped photo images (close-ups of people wearing striped clothing). I enjoyed the challenge of making small three dimensional collages, each filling up all the 6” by 6” by 6” of allowed space.

Brenda Howell

Working in a 6 inch square was not a challenge as I had many panels this size in my studio. In fact, my painting for Perennial Visions started out as unfinished piece that I began last year. Reacquainting myself with this long forgotten encaustic work resulted in Black Madonna.

Barbara Dirnbach

The three original painted portraits on paper that I submitted were taken from larger pieces and adapted to the 6 X 6 format. Working within such a tiny format is challenging given that I'm accustomed to working much larger but I enjoyed the task.