“Artist as Alchemist” from the series “Portraits In Context I” is part of the inaugural sub-series, “Artist By Artist –– an exploration of Cape Cod artist Peter Coes and his work, by artist Cariappa Annaiah.” This piece was admitted to the exhibition, Structures & Remnants, a meditation on human creation and society in the natural world, hosted by the Cape Cod Museum of Art, and curated by Michael Giaquinto, Museum Curator, and Edith Tonelli, Museum Director.
The show featuring Copley Artists, opens on August 22nd, and is on view until October 15th, 2015 at the Cape Cod Museum of Art, 60 Hope Lane, Dennis, MA. The opening reception is on Thursday, August 27th 5:00 – 7:30pm.
The piece, “Artist as Alchemist” is an example of an evolving medium that I call “Real-Time Photographic Collage,” where I create ephemeral collages using my paper prints, in this case, portraits that I took of Peter Coes and his work, illuminate the ensemble with ambient lighting to obtain a dimensional effect, and photograph and print with minimal post-processing, hence the term “Real-Time.” The collage is dismantled, and lives only as a single canvas print, hence the term, “Photographic Collage.”
This real-time photographic collage, “Artist as Alchemist” portrays the multi-dimensional, Cape Cod artist Peter Coes in the role of an alchemist, since he, in addition to being a painter, sculpts, and carves, wood, bone, and other found natural objects transforming them into playful creations. The longtime presence of multi-talented artists such as Peter Coes has infused the landscape of Cape Cod with a vitality uniquely human.
In keeping with the theme of this exhibition at the Cape Cod Museum which explores the impact of human endeavor on Nature, and the co-existence of humans and Nature, this piece is entitled, “Artist as Alchemist –– artistic presence transformed the landscape of Cape Cod.” The 17 x 13” wood-framed artwork was printed by me on archival canvas using pigment inks.
To view this piece and the Portraits in Context series on my Art page, click here.
An announcement of the exhibition on the Cape Cod Museum of Art website is here.