Compost/Composed, 2020-2021
For six months Wilson collected and sculpted her compost in her small NYC apartment. During a funded international artist residency at Light Work/Community Darkrooms she photographed and printed these composted forms onto thick rag paper and painted and stained them with coffee, and other home-made food dyes. Rather than using Photoshop or technology Wilson chose her original practice of oil painting, and the art historical tradition of still life painting to give the foodstuffs form, mood and light.
Staying in Place, 2020-2021
In adjunct to the Compost/Compost series, and from Covid-19 isolation, Wilson dyes scraps of heavy paper with pigments from the food she consumes. In a pro-Post Office gesture, and as a way to be in contact with other artists and friends around the globe, Wilson mails the pages with a prompt to each friend inviting them to mail back drawings. Wilson created a public archive on Instagram @stayinginplace and will publish as a limited edition book, while continuing to collect more drawings. Samples of the returned drawings below.
vegetable stained pages prepared and sent to artists' friends with a drawing prompt.
drawing by Juan William Chavez, St. Louis, MO
drawing by Aida Khalil, Syracuse, NY
drawing by Amy Lipton, deceased
drawing by Louis Bury, New York, NY
drawing by Connie Mallory, CANADA
packages to be sent, drawings by Cathy Leibowitz above
drawing by Samantha Harmon
drawing by Abby Carter
drawing by Abby Carter
drawing by Agnes Ockovic, Philadelphia, PA
drawing by Bart Freundlich, New York, NY
drawing by Mary Lee Hodgen, Syracuse, NY
drawing by Marisa Crawford, New York, NY
drawing by Melanie Cohn, Summit, NJ
drawing by Nancy Cohen, Jersey City, NJ
drawing by Sarah McCoubrey, Fayetteville, NY
drawing by Jules Gibbs, Syracuse, NY
drawing by Bruce Smith
drawing by Mario Mohan, Queens, NY
drawing by Jennifer McGregor