Cheryl Penn Artworks

Sometimes its pointed out in vivid – make that glaring – neon, that you’re just not cut out to work in an ordered systematic way. I’m speaking about myself – Bark – A Sample book – nearly did my head in. I attempted to create a ‘botanical’ book to exchange with Theresa Easton (UK) without botanical drawings – MAN! It was not easy. EVERYTHING – from the covers to assembly was headache material. But I made it – MOSTLY intact. BUT – I rest in the sure knowledge working in some sort of order is not my thing – a HUGE learning curve from such a simple book.

Making covers from found material

Found material

Janie (Her PROPER name – I mean -– who came up with Genie/Jinni?? Was tiring of hiding the magic lamp. Consistent secreting of
the lantern (Terminology kept for ease of reference) over the
centuries – (Named – The Concealing) was taking its toll. The
story of Ala-ed-Din had kept Seekers at bay for centuries, but the
Moorish Darwish (from the interior of Barbary – that part of the tale is correct) was drawing closer. She could feel the foul winds which heralded his presence wrap closer.

Magenta and Sienna had not been seen by the tribe for at least two decades -– it was rumored they were LOST Between.
But Janie knew better. When The Bridge appeared at the next Blood Sunrise she understood she would be able to take a break from camouflaging the lantern.

Boldly flagrant as eye-catching graffiti was not her style of choice – mind you, neither was Geralds dusty guitar shop.

From Jessica Bothma (South Africa) – ReUse – in two editions – shows the value of keeping old work and making it into books – as Stephan Mallerme said – “Everything in the World exists in order to end up in a book”



Bark – (A Sample Book) – a long outstanding book for Theresa Easton in return for her botanical book – MAN! I found this one tough!!!

I received my first piece of international Mail Art from Bifidus Jones in America – a card relating to an ongoing project – now in its sixth year – the world is a town… – a line taken from the Novgorod Codex. And now BJones’ book is the FIFTIETH book work for the installation An Encyclopedia of Everything. We had agreed to swop books loosely based on Jackson Pollock. Except one does not hang loose when exploring Pollock.

Titled Here and Here, (The inner Workings of Jackson Pollock) Bjones explores the statement – “When you’re painting out of your conscious, figures are bound to emerge”.

And emerge they do.

BJones – I SEE these figures – the clarity of intent – for sure I do ☺.

The last painting did not go far! I had to paint another for the 3.0 # 11 collaboration which will be cut up as covers for the accordion format – or pamphlet stitch – I have to decide

Another Cut-Up painting – Number 39 (Blue/Black Semantic looking for Variant Predictability and not finding her)
Blue/Black Semantic approached the Wordless Gates with beating heart and apprehension born of experience.

The
Shadowlands of Illegibility
were infamous for their effect on the unsuspecting –-
for ever they could hover BETWEEN, in the Vacuum of Meaningless.
The Voynich Manuscript had brought her here.
Perhaps.
Perhaps not.

Some things take time to mature – in fact even when they are done, their journey is not over. The art process is an interesting one, made more stimulating by dissemination and interpretation. Take The Daily Round for example. This book work is in two parts comprising:
Book 1 – 57 envelopes containing letters, diary pages, artworks and 50 pamphlets of current ideas for work including envelopes from mail artists contributing work to The South African Mail Art School. Book 2 – 42 envelopes and 40 pamphlets of current ideas .

The book was an idea for an alternate diary form – how does one make a diary/journal an artists book – bearing in mind artists books are intended to question the form and structure of the traditional book. They seek to address the more elusive nature of The Book – as  conventional codex.
Even the title should be an integral part of the content, intent and structure of the work, a connection to gist.

Artists books are malleable – but how to describe the inside in a visual statement?

I attempted to address this subject in a painting – The Daily Round. The painting was an assemblage of coded language – some perhaps encoded? Asemic writing, appropriated glyphs (Cuneiform/Egyptian) nestled alongside ABC’s, word hints and image. It was about my fascination with language – not what is spoken/written/heard, or how it is understood. It is a deeper allure – what is the intrinsic, abstract quality that makes language the immutable force  it is? What are our connections between thought and language? Does it self-replicate or mutate? It is organic of course – truly organic? A sentient entity? As an entity, does it breathe? Far out I know ☺!
And then, a painting about language which has no words touched someone in Germany – that’s the odd part. It became the cover of a book – A book titled THE WORD IN THE WORD by Dr Aprilia Zank (Literary Text Reception and Linguistic Relatively) – congratulations Aprilia and thank you for using the image.

Is language circular? Circuitous? I’m not sure, the quest is ongoing.