The Maintenance Project
In 2022 I was awarded a NYSCA/NYFA Artist Support Grant for my proposal entitled The Maintenance Project. I have made a series of drawings based on illustrations in farm machinery manuals from the mid-20th century (1940s and ‘50s mainly). The drawing are colored pencil on paper, 30” high by 22” wide. My work on this project is ongoing as I explore the rich source material shown below the drawings.
The Source Material for The Maintenance Project
The drawings above are based on my research into antique farm machinery manuals. In the 1940s particularly, the illustrations are clear and graphic, in contrast to later manuals that used dot matrix reproduction and even later ones that use photographic illustrations. These manuals, purchased on ebay, many coming in with mud, handwriting and destroyed pages, gave me a way to see and then draw objects that hold mysterious and compelling meaning, much like the symbols printed on boxes that I find and work with in other drawings.
