JBR Stories
As a lighting designer for opera and dance, I created an atmosphere that the singers and dancers could feel; one that drew the audience into the performance.
I bring that same sense of light to my collages, infusing each with an atmosphere that is felt as well as seen.
Reduce, Reuse, Make Art
My focus on reuse in the arts dates back to 1989 when I produced and moderated a seminar titled “Recycling in the Theatre”. From 1989 to 2007 I coordinated the Set Recycling Hotline, which diverted discarded scenery from dumpsters to small theatre companies with limited budgets.
On a smaller scale, I do that with my art. I cut images from magazines I get from friends and find in my building’s paper recycling. I mount and frame my collages using found and donated materials.
My assemblages use materials ranging from old paint that peeled off a porch, can lids, foil from candy bars, dried teabags and drier lint, as well as dried leaves and corn husks, tree bark and berries.