Gips - MemoryWork

Terry Gips: The Memory of Nature / Nature of Memory 2008-2011|
This project was funded in part by a Visual Arts Sea Grant awarded by the University of Rhode Island in 2010.
Works from this project were featured in Mind Sets shows in Maryland and Vermont.

The images, ranging from 36" to 112" in vertical and horizontal dimensions, are printed on archival paper with pigmented inks. The framed units making up the grids are each 12" x 18", or 12" x 15".

The process begins with selecting natural or found materials from beaches, dunes, my backyard, or elsewhere. Each sample or specimen is very small, usually fitting in the palm of my hand, or about 3 or 4 inches in each direction. The specimens are laid directly on a flatbed scanner. They are naturally fairly flat although the hinged cover of the scanner allows for a thickness of 1/2 inch or so. The specimens are only modestly "arranged" for composition because my interest is in their natural complexity, chaos, and organic structure. They also sometimes come with dirt, sand, and water. The seaweeds, for example, look very different if they are allowed to dry before scanning.

They are scanned in color, usually at 1200 dpi. Once the file is acquired, I use Photoshop to do some cleaning up and perhaps some cropping and slight adjustments in contrast or brightness. These very large files are then "cut" into rectangular segments and each of the 8 to 30 pieces is saved as a separate file. These files are then printed on 19" x 13" paper at a high resolution. They are framed with thin, black metal frames and hung edge-to-edge in a grid. The final work is usually 15 to 25 times lareger than the original specimen, thus revealing details not visible to the naked eye.

eelgrass