Kelly M O’Brien, Lucid Optimism (detail). Glass, wood, cement, thread, coated rope, leather, scissors. 240 x 230 x 60 cm ©2019
I have been out of the studio for much of May, taking a breather before the summer push to prepare for my MFA degree show in September. Nonetheless, I managed to slip a few projects into the mix this month. Read on for details and images.
Introducing: Stitch No. 2
Kelly M O’Brien, Stitch No. 2 Paper, thread, glue. 20 x 28 in | 50 x 70 cm. ©2019
Introducing Stitch No. 2, the second in a new series of work that celebrates the simple beauty of paper and thread.
As with nearly all of my new work, the materials led me to what the final piece would be. I started out with some sketches, gave one a try. Failed. Tried another. No good. It was only when I started playing around with the sewing machine and let go of outcomes that something interesting happened.
You can learn more about what I discovered and see more images of Stitch, No. 2 here.
New Acquisitions: RSSC Navigator
Kelly M O'Brien, Playing With Fire No. 38. Paper, spray paint, flame. 14 x 12 x 1.5 inches. ©2016
I'm very pleased that four pieces from my existing Playing With Fire series will now be on board the newly refurbished Regent Seven Seas Navigator!
The client needed artwork quickly for a last-minute project. Thanks to a good working relationship, my existing inventory, and speedy access to all information via my online archive, we were able to sort everything out, including re-framing solutions, within 48 hours.
The acquisition includes two dimensional wall sculptures with reflected blue color, and two pieces from the Phases series of reflected-color discs, one pink and one green.
They will all hang in the new spa, framed in brushed silver oak frames.
Kelly M O'Brien, Playing With Fire No. 36 (Phases 3). Paper, spray paint, flame. 28 x 28 x .5 inches. ©2016
MFA Studio Research
Kelly M O’Brien, Lucid Optimism (detail). Glass, wood, cement, thread, coated rope, leather, scissors. 240 x 230 x 60 cm ©2019
In the largest work to date for my MFA research, I may have tested the limits of my studio mates' self-control! The piece pictured here, Lucid Optimism, made a tempting offer by combining a delicate glass orb, string, and a pair of scissors. One colleague told me it was all she could do to not snip some threads to see how long it would take for the whole thing to collapse.
I'm glad that she didn't follow the impulse, but what a great idea to add tension to an already iffy situation. Click here to see more images of the entire piece, along with other precarious work I've been playing with.
Follow along as I persevere via highlights that I post under STUDIO on Instagram and on a brand new website for my emerging practice.