When I slowly peeled away the husks of the Indian corn I was struck by not only the beauty of the colorful cob, bold and masculine, but by the form and delicacy of the very feminine husks as carefully splayed open in various stages of exposure; sometimes shy and barely revealing, other times freely dancing or skirting in couture posturing.
This masculine/feminine play suggested I photograph them individually on a blank "slate" of white, thereby able to enjoy the cast shadows, nuanced silk and dance.
Originally printed on cotton paper, the series evolved to printing on clayboard in a larger scale. A suite of 10 was purchased by the Lansing Board of Water and Light for their corporate office, centered by a large graphite drawing of Indian Corn 17.
This year I decided to print Indian corn images on slate, as you see here. This wonderful material of earthy substance offers free-standing presence and surprising dimension.
The slate has rough-hewn edges, each one unique. They weigh 2 lb 10 oz and are 3/8” thick. All are hand-signed by me on the front, and titled and dated on the back. They look wonderful individually (if you can pick one), and convey more of the story in pairs and groupings.
Stand included.
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