New Movement - Post Ingestionism

Maya has entered the art scene. She is innovative. She is creative. She is hungry.

This new movement is full of the kind of irony and self mockery that screams for media attention. Her love of art-turn-theatrics is of the essence of the age. I think Maya Cook represents the exploratory nature and frustration that that resonates in all one year olds.

She starts presumably conservative: marker in hand, sweeping repetitive strokes across the paper. Soon, the theatric begin. Maya is not content for the observer to assume that this is the apogee of one-year-old expression. Her marks begin making statements of freedom on the table, then chair, then on her clothes. The observer is sucked into her intense exposition and can't help but feel her supressed desire to be understood. But, this is not enough for Maya. To sear the point into the observer's understanding she thrusts the marker into her mouth and rips off the tip and eats her very mode of expression. The observer is left with an unmistakable realization of her inability to communicate her true feelings. She hopes will result in a heightened awareness and sensitivity to the one-year-old psyche, more sugar, and no naps.

Her new show opened day before mothers day and although the opening was not well attended (only her mother and sister showed up), I think the movement is gaining recognition as her pieces have been flown across the states and were well received in New Mexico and Texas at a Mother's Day celebration.

Her Ever Expanding Canvas

It started with this: face painting at the museum. I painted a simple butterfly on her two-year-old face.


But Cambria, leading the equal-rights-for-two-year-olds movement insisted that she paint my face, too.


Her cousin, Isaac, joined the revolution.


Face painting equality=fair. Her getting a butterfly and me getting an oil spill=not fair.



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Painting like the Ancients

Cambria discoved that berry juice makes a great dye. While I was bathing Maya, Cambria was busy at work with the raspberries. I caught her as she was working on her back (she's very thorough). I took off her shirt to avoid minor stains, but I ended up avoiding a new colored shirt.

Collaboration

Cambria's cousins visited us this weekend from So.Cal. Cambria wanted to share her drawing table for some collaborative creativity. Maggie, who is 4, drew this picture of her mom - "It's mommy's dimples." Cambria's work didn't seem to be much affected by the objective influence.




Cambria's first piece. Sometimes I want to stop her at different points in the process because I get worried that she will overwork the piece and make it muddy, but she is very decisive about when it is done or not. This was not complete until she balanced the green with the purple.




A study in minimalism.




This was actually her first peice of the day.




After cousins left, she finally gave in to her little sister, Maya's protests of being left out. This was Maya's first time with a Marker. She was doing stellar until her age got the best of her and she ate off the tip of the marker.




The vibrant color was not good enough for just one sensory experience.




Her first piece. It continued onto the table-- an instillation of sorts-- but we only captured the paper work.

I experimented today. I turned on mellow feminine music (innocence mission) and showed her pictures of flowers (from a calendar), then set up her easel and paints to see if her style came out softer. Here is the first result:




Here is it's inception:




This is the second painting:




Initiating it:






What do you think? Did it make a difference? Compare to previous paintings below:

No Water & Art

Even without water, she finds her way into her porcelain canvas and creates a vision of color. Here is the artist working on the inner walls.

Water & Art

Loved this one. She's very thorough, not missing any cracks or holes in the grout/caulk, to ensure that no matter how hard we try to clean it--her art will endure.

Photography

Cambria has recently become very interested in photography and sets up scenes then solicits mom and dad to take a picture. She then checks if it's satisfactory, sometimes changing something and requiring a re-take, sometimes pleased with the results. This was one she directed and liked.

Attempt to Impress

Since dealing with Cambria's passion for "coloring" (she hates crayons) since she could use a marker (which has only been about six months), I have wondered if she will turn out to be an introverted, heady, aloof artist. If this is the case, will she feel stereotypically misunderstood? Will she end up alone and missing a body part from some fit of passion?

I was concerned, until Cindy introduced me to Granteeny's blog. As a true Texan's wife should, I am now determined to convince the world, but mostly Grant, of Cambria's brilliance so that when she turns 19 he'll be back from a mission and she'll be on the top of his list.

Now, I know her pieces are not quite as developed and mature as Grant's are, but she barely turned two, so give her a little slack.

I hope you know I'm joking. Well, at least 90% joking.

(mixed media--notice the glitter dot)

(this is my personal favorite)

(there is a little "poke tree" in this one)
































She has a Cy Twombly, too!