Seth started it with his Disintegration Collaboration and we all put our bundles and whatever out into the environment. My diploma, which gave me the right to add a 4th set of initials after my name (don't get excited, they don't include PhD), remained pretty resistant to the elements which included only about 3 days of rain over 6 months. I had actually hoped it would burst into flames in our summer heat.
Once Susan took it out of the sculpture (bottom photo) it had been sitting in for 6 months and started picking at it, we discovered why it wouldn't disintegrate. The diploma was printed on a heavy paper which was fused to a plastic film and then fused onto a backing sheet. It seemed like just one thick piece of paper but the plastic film in the middle kept it from any serious damage. She ripped and peeled and got it all apart and the backing sheet is being cut into strips to make "hair" for one of my outdoor ShovelHead people (will be shown in Part Two).
The front was transformed into the piece you see, with detail photos. I had nothing to do with it other than to say "Needs more... something" as she worked on it. The miscellaneous painted pieces collaged on are papers we worked on together in the past. The whole piece is stitched, wired, and glued onto black canvas. I like it. (As opposed to hating the job that required the damned thing.)
Grateful thanks to Seth from The Altered Page for an interesting Collaboration.
Original attempt at disintegration, Feb 12 - July 26, 2009.
