A COLLECTIVE OF TWO
Elaine Grenier & Sylvia Tello Trumbull
La Huipilista Artspace - Symbiotic Tensions
Elaine Grenier and Sylvia Tello Trumbull
June 1 - July 15, 2018
Julian Carrillo #1, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Galeria Paralelo - Adventures in Clay
A Collective of Two - Elaine Grenier and Sylvia Tello Trumbull
March 23 - 31, 2018
Plaza El Vergel #5, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico
Our current work explores a merging of clay and henequen or sisal fibers. A new formulation of clay that incorporates paper fiber, allowing for sculpted forms that are lighter and more resilient than traditional clay work, inspired us to search for a modular “building block” that could be the primary unit for construction of large light-weight pieces. We happened upon “estropajos” in local markets. They are made of indigenous sisal and are found in the day to day life of many Mexican households. As we explored, learned, and stretched the possibilities of the materials, the forms took on a life of their own. The resilience and pliability of the modules when wet made it possible to drape, join and sculpt them into forms that suggest organic growth.
Each piece in this installation is composed of a dynamic network of fibrous layers that appear fragile but are in fact strong. The opposition of fragility and strength, density and transparency hint at the contradictions we all experience in life.
A COLLECTIVE OF TWO October 2012
Ceramics by Elaine Grenier and Sylvia Trumbull
Galeria Reloj 46, San Miguel de Allende, Mexico