Luz Marina Ruiz "Amparo" Tunnel Book, Collagraph and Thread Paper Sculpture in Ochre, Carmel California Art, Original 13.5 X 17 Inches, 2010

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Description

Layers of tall, arched and notched panels stand upright like a small village or a fan of buildings, in ochre, … Read more Layers of tall, arched and notched panels stand upright like a small village or a fan of buildings, in ochre, terracotta, dusty rose and slate blue on a violet-blue base. Tiny windows, doorways and diamond cut-outs open through each sheet, a crescent moon rides near the top left, and a deep blue, bird-like form glows in a central opening. The collagraph surfaces are mottled and tactile, with passages of stripes and weathered color. Amparo means shelter or protection, and the piece feels like a place to be sheltered in. Luz Marina Ruiz turns flat prints into sculptural book forms like this one.

A small sculptural object for a console, a bookcase, a mantel, a desk or a deep window sill. It stands on its own and is best placed where it can be seen from several angles and where light can pass through its openings. The ochre, rose and slate palette sits well with wood, plaster, books and ceramics, and it makes an unusual centerpiece for a study or an entry.

Tunnel Book, collagraphs and thread, 13.5 x 17 x 3 in (34.3 x 43.2 x 7.6 cm).

This tunnel book is built from collagraph prints, made from plates of textured materials glued onto a board and printed to give rich, tactile surfaces. Luz Marina Ruiz cuts and layers the printed sheets into a free-standing structure of connected panels, with openings that let light and depth pass through. Each layer is shaped so the whole can be seen from several angles.

Luz Marina Ruiz was born in Cali, Colombia, and raised in New York. She earned her BA, MA and MFA at the University of California, Berkeley, and is based in the San Francisco Bay Area, where she teaches printmaking at the California College of the Arts.

Her practice moves between painting, drawing, printmaking and book arts, with linocut, collagraph, monotype and woodcut often turned into sculptural tunnel books and carousel books. Inspired by dreams and nature, she returns to water and boats as images of life's journeys. Her work is held in public collections including the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art, UC Berkeley's Environmental Design Library and Mills College Special Collections. See less