Self Portraits are, of course, a continuing theme. These visual diaries span a lifetime of important moments using time appropriate paper documentation.
The papers represent a period of time when living in NYC and working in management at Cartier, enrolled in GIA Gemstone Identification courses and continually changing her hair color. The papers include a Cartier catalog of cigarette lighters from the era, drawings and GIA course guides and tests.
Recently graduated from art school, and having a piece excepted in her first post-graduation exhibition, she took off on a gemstone buying trip to Europe. The papers, all period appropriate, include all these events.
Reaction to Spring 2020 and reflections on the future
The photo used as reference for this piece was taken the day before the Presidential Election of 2016. Following the election came a period of introspection and the need for the comfort of art. The papers are from books she read and exhibits she inhabited at that time to try to make sense of her world.
"Con la bella maniere, tutto si obtinare".
Traveling and visiting artwork are recurrent themes. Here the papers are from travels in Italy, France and the Hamptons.
January 2022; mid-pandemic self portrait
This series of portraits of my father, Max Borenstein, delves into his 96 years as a mathematician, student, teacher, soldier, husband, father, IRS fraud investigator, CPA, table tennis champion and inveterate shopper. His accumulated papers and documents, detailing every facet of his life, was the catalyst for my current work.
In His Own Words - 2016
Portrait of Max Borenstein as a young Math teacher using his own written documents, calculations an college report card.
Portrait of Max Borenstein using WWII era personal documents and death certificate from 2011
Portrait of Max Borenstein, who scoured supermarket circulars weekly for coupons and deals, made from ShopRite circulars and accounting paper.
Portrait of Max Borenstein in his later years as a CPA in his own writings and tax-related brochures.
Portrait of Max Borenstein, Senior Table Tennis Champion, from his own writings and related documents.
In these pieces I attempt to explore not only the story of each individual as defined by their personal papers, but also the connection of the couple which develops from the interrelationship of their papers.
Mother and child in papers and documents from when they were both in their 20's.
Portrait of a couple from their era-specific related personal documents.
Portrait of married couple for their mutual ‘big’ birthday and wedding anniversary using materials from their lives together, high school yearbooks, maps, family businesses, favorite foods, photos and hobbies.
These individual family portraits are evocative and rich with memory over spans of time. To me, they are family as muse, family as identity and the intimacy of our connection allows me to go beyond the stories.
Portrait of Yasuo Sugiura in travel documents, floor plans, maps, food containers and business documents from 50 years in the U.S.
Portrait of the artist and mentor Selma Bortner in newspaper articles about her work, show announcements and other related materials
Portrait of Selma Bortner from the early 1960's in art school brochures and related documents
Portrait of Maximillian Sugiura, High School Assistant Principal, created from high school transcripts and FAFSA forms.
Portrait of Smirking Alexander Sugiura in high school and college era brochures and documents.
Portrait of Maximillian Sugiura as a young adult in elementary school era papers and anime pages.
Portrait of Alexander Sugiura in travel documents and maps from a trip in the southwest
Portrait of Alexander Sugiura as a recent college graduate in musical score, travel brochure, and personal papers related to his interests.
Portrait of Yasuo Sugiura, history buff, in the Japanese language version of The Watchtower left at our front door, origami and other personal papers.
Considering the saying "it's written all over your face”, I am exploring the melding of cultures into physical and perceived identity.
Portrait of Sir David Adjaye taken from a ZOOM image, rendered in printed illustrations and photos of ancient and contemporary building materials
Portrait of Maximillian Sugiura in Japanese and Jewish personal papers, travel momentous and related documents
Portrait of Alexander Sugiura in Japanese and Jewish personal papers and related documents.
Study of cultural identity realized in subject’s Jewish/Japanese personal papers, books
and maps
Mother and Child represented in maps and papers depicting their history of the aspirational and lived journey of their life.
Portrait of a Classical Musician through her supplied sheet music.
Portrait of W. Michael Blumenthal in documents ranging from his time in the Jewish Ghetto in Shanghai during WWII through his work as U.S. Treasury Secretary, and Director of the Jewish Museum in Berlin, including pertinent documents and his cigar.
Birthday Portrait of Bruce Surry in personal papers and real estate related brochures.
Portrait of Dr. Norman Glickman using materials culled from his many years of teaching at UT Austin, Penn and Rutgers, 6 books, PHD thesis, and great appreciation of Jazz CDS, Mel Brooks performances and Mallomars.
Portrait of a multifaceted businessman, athlete and Swarthmore graduate on the occasion of his 70th birthday incorporating family papers, brochures, floorplans, and Swarthmore memorabilia.
Portrait of Rev. Milo Thornberry. The original image is from the 1970's while he was a missionary in Taiwan and many of the papers are from his related to his book Fireproof Moth about his time there, as well as related sermon and music covers.
Lynn Surry, President of the Hirschfeld Foundation, Master Bridge player and world traveller rendered in maps, brochures and related documents.
Portrait of a corporate CFO in his personal documents, and documents related to his interests in cars, food and finance.
Portrait of M.E., from letters and personal documents of the era
Later portrait of M.E. using personal letters and documents
Portrait of a daughter, wife and mother using over 80 years of her personal documents and papers.
These works are part of a continuing exploration of the effects of public policy; both internally and externally.
In the wake of George Floyd’s murder, a treatise on the right to breath in the form of a trachea, with bronchi flowing into the cities that spread the protests and a Minneapolis Police Badge and American Flag larynx
Color Pencil Rendering of conflicting Coronavirus Emergency Guidelines
Baby portrait rendered in receipts for healthcare, and education.
College student created from financial aid forms and related documents
These works display a variety of unconventional ways to represent an individual through his documents and papers to create a portrait.
Reflections in a water glass during a trip to Chicago in related papers
Portrait of Dreamer/Inventor/Poet/Musician
The papers in this portrait reflect all the current interests which involved the hands of the subject at the time of this photograph
View from the backseat in Berlin made from related travel documents
In this portrait, I designed the paper using rubber letter stamps to write a stream of consciousness letter to my niece, Emily.
The travelogues are composed of travel momentos, and are most often represented by birds which are native to the region.
Bay area travel momentos
Western Bluejay from Southern California maps and related memorabilia
Victoria, Vancouver and Seattle represented by a Stellar Jay
Goldfinch, the NJ State Bird.
Eastern Bluebird, NY State bird
Illinois/Indiana State Bird in travel brochures and maps
Western Tanager rendered from travel documents and brochures from Southern California
History of a European Starling through related papers.
Depiction of Common Grackle
Lovebirds with related papers including Egon Schiele’s The Storm and original poetry culled from Freud, among others.
While researching native bird species, I came upon descriptions of extinct birds. It was especially striking to note the devastating effects of the interactions of each of the birds I selected with manmade, not natural, causes. I want to remember and celebrate the beauty and ephemeral nature of life on this planet. Tori (the Japanese word for bird) completes the sentiment of the title.
The first in the series “History Lessens’ - reimagined moments in cultural history.
Kissing Parisian Pigeons depicted in newspapers, magazine and related papers documenting the French and North African factions in the riots in the Parisian banlieu in 2023 after the death of Nahel M.
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