Looking Backward, Windward and Celebration
(Celebration)
Stephanie Mahan Stigliano,
USA
| Looking Backward, Windward
and Celebration; Stephanie Mahan Stigliano,
Malden, MA USA A bomb explodes and everything is torn apart. The image of bits of paper flying into space resonates across cultures. Using sewn, collaged and painted vintage postcards, Stigliano's open books represent that moment of explosion. The al-Mutanabbi Street bombing is an experience that cannot be easily packaged or immediately understood. When these books are closed, the pages are mismatched and barely contained between discarded covers. In the aftermath of violence, one does not immediately note all that is lost. Over time, as pieces of life are reassembled, little by little, one notices more that is missing. Sometimes pieces fit together, sometimes not. Regardless of how we feel, time passes. Events layer and obscure the past. Dust collects as time passes. We try to find meaning from ephemeral remains. After such a deep injustice, the mundane can become golden in contrast. These postcards are relics representing now lost, forgotten connections; a handwritten message sent and received. I am here and saying hello to you over there. In a civilized world, we trust in this connection. When major written works are lost, even minor ones take on greater significance. Medium: Vintage Postcards and mixed media in altered book format. Each: Closed: 12 x 8 x 3.5”; Open: 12 x 15 x 5”; Open and Extended: 12 x 35” Stephanie Mahan Stigliano exhibited in Correspondence: the 9th International Book Art Festival, which travelled throughout Poland; and in Par Avion, exhibited in Boston, MA, USA and Strasbourg, FR. In conjunction with Handshouse Studios, she brought students to Zamosc, Poland to paint ceiling panels for a recreation of the 17th century wooden Gwozdziec Synagogue, which will be installed in the Museum of the History of Polish Jews in 2013. Her prints and books are included in museum and library collections both in the United States and abroad. Stigliano teaches printmaking and book arts at Walnut Hill School for the Arts, of Natick, MA. sstigliano@walnuthillarts.org http://stephaniemahanstigliano.com |