Nest, string drawing number 13 (Detail) 2013
Graphite and color pencil on paper, 18 x 22 inches

String drawing number 6, loop with knott, 2012
Graphite and colored pencil on paper
7 inches x 6 inches

My recent drawings of yarn and butchers string emerged from a series of still lives documenting objects in my studio over the summer.

I am interested in using the string as a physical “line drawing” in space, lain out on the table by hand. Arriving at the compositions is an exploration of form, simplicity and instinct. I render the yarn and string at life scale using graphite and colored pencil, slowing my attention, studying, looking at the object before me.

I participated in the Gowanus Open Studio tour this year. It was a last show of new work before I returned to Northern California. A great weekend, filled with conversation.

still life study

Untitled, abstract study #7 (detail)

Vija Celmins, Night Sky No. 22, 2001 - Charcoal on Paper 18 3/4 x 22 inches

“What if we understood mimesis not so much in terms of representation, but, as Adorno suggests in his Aesthetic Theory, literally as a form of imitation, of mimicking, of doing impressions of nature? To draw a mountain is to mimic it, and, as a form of mimicry, a magical form of becoming.

Mimesis, as a magical practice, is a question of technique: of molding your vowels, modulating the lines you draw or paint, adapting movements, as a means of activating the sympathetic relationship between you and what’s out there.”

- The Banff Center

Josh sleeping, with blue sheets

Josh sleeping, study number 5, Lindsey Muscato, graphite on paper, 2011

“For as long as man has painted, he (and it usually is a he) has painted his lovers. Look at any of the great works of Western art and, chances are, you will find a mistress, girlfriend, wife or prostitute centre stage.”  — Kathryn Hughes

news papers in a window, DUMBO Brooklyn

news papers in a window, DUMBO Brooklyn

The main issue I came up against on this trip was time: there wasn’t enough of it. I had to ask myself what it means for me to show work that is half resolved? Is it better to be bold and experimental, or better to start from what I know, even if the result is humble?

Page from the Cyprus Weekly

When we arrived in Cyprus, much of the original intentions in my proposal were put on hold, although now that I’m back to my own studio, I look forward to returning to some of those ideas. I was surprised at how uninspiring the printed media in Cyprus was. It made me realize how beautiful The New York Times is as a reference material – the only one I have been using through the spill series prior to Cyprus.

spill of coffee on the Cyprus Weekly

Cypriot coffee

The traditional style of coffee prepared in Cyprus is what we usually think of as Turkish coffee here in the states. It was difficult to use for spilling over the newsprint, mostly because of the grinds.

The other kind of coffee that everyone drank was instant Nescafé, and that was actually a beautiful alternative for my purposes. The Nescafé has a rich color and nice glossy finish when it dries.

"slow," Coffee Spills in Cyprus, in progress

Above is my first rendering in progress. It is not my favorite drawing, but in many ways a surprisingly good learning experience. The process of working under the gun, with an imminent exhibition, with so much to think about and so little time to actually ingest or assimilate the experiences brought up a lot of questions for me. How dose one make a thoughtful and developed work in a matter of days?

How can I adjust my materials and output to convey ideas without the slow translation of rendering? Are time and process always important and defining aspects of my work? Without the tedium and translation, what is specific about my work and point of view?

"advocate," Coffee Spills in Cyprus © Lindsey Muscato, graphite on paper, 2011 (detail)

For the show in Cyprus, I realized I was not using text as much to describe the newspaper as a object, as in the original New York Times series. Instead, I was more interested in re-contextualizing the original text, and using it to describe my own thoughts and impressions from the time I spent there.

Greek language newspaper from 1967

One of the participating Cyprus based artists allowed me to borrow and document a beautiful old Greek language newspaper from November, 1967.

I’m really looking forward to working with it in drawings to come.