VFFT Week 13 - Making Starry Night by Stella Ebner

 

Stella Ebner, Making Starry Night, 2013, Silkscreen on japanese paper, edition of 5

So this is probably not what you were thinking of when you saw the title, right? I have to give Stella Ebner credit for her creative spin on an age old favorite like Van Gogh's 'Starry Night'. When I saw it at the IPCNY (International Print Center New York) a year and a half ago, I had to laugh because I have been in this exact predicament myself (only it was with a Monet instead). Its when you lay back on the couch (or the floor) and think, "What the heck was I thinking?!" It always pays off in the end, though, when that last piece clicks into place. Its almost as if you yourself where 'making' the real thing.

Still, Ebner has more then just great narrative to this piece. Her use of warm-toned pigments plays with the idea of "summer siesta"; when the mid-day sun swoops boldly into the room, resting on the smooth, laminated surface of each puzzle piece. Somehow, they become just too sticky to pick up, don't you think? Suddenly, the soft, dry fabric of the pillow becomes more interesting, and you doze off into a swirling dream and a summer snooze.

Sigh... it's all I've been thinking about since the snow started falling this morning. The summer heat and the opportunity to do absolutely nothing.

Posted in: Museum and Gallery