Stabs and Wounds

Negative of Aorta, in progress

Last October at Azule, an arts residency around the corner from my house, I talked about some of my recent work. Here is the video of the presentation which is quite informal, but fortunately, Alicia Arroyo, the talented writer and publicist for Azule, was able to take my ramblings and turn them into the following:

Selinde Lanier is an elegant and skillful artist as well as a classically trained musician who lives down the road from Azule in Bluff. A founding member of Flow Gallery in Marshall, Selinde’s mediums are woven art, photography and paper.

Her current work involves exploring themes of the heart as a transformative center, expressed through weaving absolutely captivating forms by hand, out of stainless steel, and stitching red and blue through it in the manner of a circulatory system.

The exquisite, delicate pillow she brought shimmers in the light and manages to invoke, simultaneously lightness and density, gentleness and menace, because, as Selinde notes, the act of weaving metal by hand lends itself to stabs and wounds. This captivating artifact then manages to contain some truths about the human heart to offer love and suffer pain.

-Alicia Arroyo

And for those words of affirmation, Alicia received my piece Aorta as a gift. An even exchange in my opinion.

“Aorta”. Detail.

Note: I believe this evening might have been the last time I saw Morgan Santander, who is here sitting across from me with glasses on his head. He passed away in March, the week before we were scheduled to meet at Azule in hopes of joining its board as we both felt strongly about the good work that this place does. Morgan was a dear friend who had a studio next to mine in Marshall for many years. We bonded over having both come from Savannah, he as a professor of painting and me as a grad student in fiber. He was ever giving of time, talent and support and will be dearly missed.