Deborah holcombe
artist
Deborah holcombe
artist
Out of Many One
Out of Many One
The story
Cooperation is key
Cooperation is key
This Action piece depends on others and the Post Office for the work to be reunited. The painting will be cut up into postcard size and mailed to recipients who, I hope, can come together to reunite the work.
It's hard to cut up your work
It's hard to cut up your work
There are some unknowns, will the recipients get their post cards? Will they be able to show up? Will the cards stand up the the rigors of the machines and shipping of the post office? The painting wont ever be as it originally was.
Yes it's political
Yes it's political
In this politically divisive time an exercise in cooperation and diversity is an exercise in optimism.
Artist's Statement
Artist's Statement
Anatomy of an idea
The parts:
The National Motto, "E Pluribus Unum" , meaning Out of Many One, a reference to the original 13 states that joined together to form one nation.
The image is the obverse of the great seal that is printed on the back of the one dollar bill distorted through a glass of water. It is the unfinished pyramid with the eye of Providence on top. The image suggests that Providence, a spiritual force, favored the founding of America. The pyramid is still unfinished.
The United States Post Office, an exercise in Federal bureaucratic efficiency. The painting will be cut up and mailed to different people. As the painting pieces go through the postal system they will receive new marks from the post office like the wavy lines that cancel the stamp and a bar code.
A painting of American money. All money is a currency for the exchange of goods and services. The US Department of Treasury prints US paper currency.
The recipients. Different people have volunteered to submit their names and an address where the postcard can be mailed to and they agreed to show up at a certain time and place to reassemble to painting.