Jane Ingram Allen

Arts in Education Programs - Installation Art and Papermaking

Installations Available for Exhibition in Schools, 2002-2003

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Projects in the Schools
Arts in Education

"Turning Over a New Leaf" - is a viewer participatory installation of 2000 handmade paper leaves each painted red on one side and green on the other. It was created during my recent artist residency in Japan in celebration of the new millennium. The fabrication of Turning Over a New Leaf began with making the paper, then cutting, painting, gluing and stitching to build the work one leaf at a time. This slow meditative and repetitive process has allowed me to enjoy the unique beauty of each individual leaf as it contributes to the larger field. The field of leaves serves as a metaphor for society and references the value of individuality and cultural diversity as well as the potential to transform society one person at a time. This work also explores issues of change, entropy and aging. It is designed to change over time due to the active participation of viewers who are asked to literally turn over a leaf in this installation changing it from red to green. Turning Over a New Leaf is constantly evolving controlled by the viewer's random choice of which leaf to turn. By making literal the act of turning over a leaf, the viewer becomes physically engaged in a ritualistic act, reinforcing the resolution he makes mentally and records in the Book of 2000 Promises, a handmade book accompanying the installation. This installation can be installed in a variety of ways to fit the space available.

"In the Clouds" - "In the Clouds" consists of as many as 12 cloud forms made of painted handmade paper and string that are suspended from the ceiling. The paper ring shapes are painted in sunset colors on one side and silver on the top. The multi-colored strings hanging from the paper clouds as rain move when viewers walk through the installation. The idea for "Clouds" came from thinking about environmental problems such as holes in the ozone and acid rain. This gentle rain falling from fanciful clouds with "silver linings" expresses hope for a positive solution to these problems. The "Clouds" installation will be designed for the site selected at the school.

"Tubes" - "Tubes" consists of 10 tube-like forms made of painted handmade paper and string suspended from the ceiling and attached to the walls and/or floor. The disks making up the tubes are painted in a rainbow progression of colors on one side. The other side of the flat circles is white reflecting the bright colors. This piece reminds one of giant toy slinkies, vacuum cleaner hoses and Chinese dragons or the inside of the body with all of its tubes and passageways. The tubes form a maze-like space that the viewer can enter and maneuver through. The "Tubes" can be arranged to fit any selected space.

"Construction Project - Brick Wall" - "Construction Project - Brick Wall" consists of hundreds of cast handmade paper bricks along with other cast handmade paper objects such as a wrecking ball, traffic cones, construction signs and hard hats. Viewers are invited to participate in this installation and construct their own brick wall on top of the cast paper foundation outlined on the floor. Viewers can also wear a cast handmade paper hard hat and knock their wall down with the wrecking ball to begin again. This piece is concerned with the continuing process of creation and destruction and creates an ever-changing installation controlled by the viewers. The "Construction Project" installation is designed to fit whatever space is selected and consists of floor and ceiling hung elements.

"Shadows " - "Shadows" consists of up to five life-size suspended abstract figures with their attached shadows. These constructions are somewhat like large marionettes and show human figures in a variety of positions from leaping to working. The figures are constructed with handmade paper and joined with multi-colored strings. The figures are mainly white with many colorful lines and splatters on them, and the shadows are basically black also with colorful lines and splatters of paint. The "Shadows" are arranged to fill the selected space, and viewers can move among them perhaps trying to mimic the shapes and positions and create their own shadows.

"Bird Watching" - "Bird Watching" consists of multiple abstract forms representing various species of birds made of painted handmade paper over wire. Each bird is unique in shape and coloring and has its own personality. There are standing birds that rest on tables or other flat surfaces and "flying" birds that hang from the ceiling. An outdoor "Bird Watching" installation is possible as some of the birds are coated with polyurethane for outdoor display. The number and type of birds for each "Bird Watching" installation will be designed for the selected site. The exhibition will include birds common in your area that bird watchers can identify.

"The Map Room" - "The Map Room" consists of dozens of painted handmade paper and string maps based on real cities, states and regions of the US. Maps represented include historical, geological, and highway maps. The maps are displayed suspended from the ceiling forming a space to navigate through. Viewers can see both sides of the maps and even see through the string net-like parts. The maps can also be displayed folded as sculptural objects. "The Map Room" installation can be adapted to fit any space. The number and type of maps will be designed for the site selected and will include some maps relating to the specific geographic area.

"Different Views" - "Different Views" consists of multiple global maps varying in size from about 8" in diameter to over 36" in diameter. Each map shows the world from a different point of view. This installation was inspired by my travels to Japan, Nepal and other countries where I saw maps of the world not having the USA in the center as do most of the maps we see in our country. I manipulated global maps on the computer to turn them around showing many different locations as the center of the world. These thin and transparent maps made with Oriental handmade paper are hung suspended from the ceiling at varying levels so that light shines through the images and the viewer is surrounded with multiple views of the earth.

Updated 7-5-02