THE VENUS SERIES

Top image and video: Venus Pacis (Venus of Peace) 86 x 36 in (213 x 91 cm); 

Above: Venus Lunae (Venus of the Moon) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

Below: Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus) 108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm)

Below (video): Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus),  108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm).

Above left to right: Venus Temporis (Venus of Time) 15 x 11 in (38 x 28 cm); Venus Abolitionis (Venus of Abolition)  20.5 x 24 in. (55 x 61 cm) and Venus Sui (Self Venus) 65 x 47 in (165 x 119 cm)

Above: Venus Sirenusae (Mermaid Venus / Siren Venus) 30 x 80 in. (76 x 203 cm)

Clockwise from top left: Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) 102 x 43 in (259 x 109 cm); Venus Degentium (Venus Diaspora) 36 x 24 in (91 x 61 cm); Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) 72 x 30 in (183 x 76 cm) and Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps) 28 x 22 in (71 x 56 cm).

Above left to right: Venus Mundi (Venus of the World) 12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm); Coelestis Venus (Celestial Venus) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

The Venus Series is a series of thirteen collages made from maps. This series began with maps collected while traveling in the Mediterranean. I had never been to Greece, but had yearned to see the ancient sculpture and architecture since I was in art school. Nothing had prepared me to be mind-blown for 24-7. The beauty, monumental scale and the age of the ancient remains kept me in nonstop awe. 

The ancient art and architecture of any continent in the world conveys to me a connectedness and a shared commonality of humankind. Despite millenniums having passed, the ruins give me a sense of the human condition being timeless. Rather than feel separate from ancient man, I actually feel our connection. As an artist who makes things with my hands, I often use materials and techniques that have been used for centuries. Putting gender and class aside, I can envision my place in an ancient era, working among other artists or artisans, carving stone, painting frescoes, making mosaics or working with clay. This connectedness inspired this series, and fuels my inspiration. Further narrowing the focus, the Venus Series concentrates on Venus. As a woman and an artist with a passion for working with the figure, Venus continues to serve as a vastly inspiring muse.

The Venuses of this series range from being iconographic, classical, to even playful. The commonality of these Venuses is each are strong women with a renewed sense of agency not always seen in classical art. So as not to be identified as being authentic to any single country or geographical area, the series began with each Venus bearing a Latin name. But later in the series, some Venuses have been named for specific groups. The first three Venuses of this series were collaged from maps of my own travels. Since then, others have generously donated their maps, through which I vicariously enjoy every scribbled note and stain of spilt coffee. 

My nature as an artist is to not repeat myself, so no two collages of The Venuses Series are designed alike, and each was inspired by something different. The works of this series range in scale from 12 x 12 inches to 9 x 12 feet. The collages are made on paper, canvas or fabric. 

Maps are beautiful standing alone and often have sentimental value attached to them. They may symbolize our past and/or our future. A map can be a powerful reminder of our own journeys: places we’ve been to, are intrigued by, or hope to visit. The Venus Series uses maps in unexpected ways to take us on unexpected journeys. 

La Serie Venus es una serie de trece collages realizados a partir de mapas. Esta serie comenzó con mapas recopilados mientras viajaba por el Mediterráneo. Nunca había estado en Grecia, pero había anhelado ver la escultura y la arquitectura antiguas desde que estaba en la escuela de arte. Nada me había preparado para estar alucinado las 24 horas del día, los 7 días de la semana. La belleza, la escala monumental y la edad de los restos antiguos me mantuvieron asombrado sin parar.

El arte y la arquitectura antiguos de cualquier continente del mundo me transmiten una conexión y una comunidad compartida de la humanidad. A pesar de que han pasado milenios, las ruinas me dan una sensación de que la condición humana es atemporal. En lugar de sentirme separado del hombre antiguo, en realidad siento nuestra conexión. Como artista que hace cosas con mis manos, suelo utilizar materiales y técnicas que se han utilizado durante siglos. Dejando de lado el género y la clase, puedo imaginar mi lugar en una época antigua, trabajando con otros artistas o artesanos, tallando piedra, pintando frescos, haciendo mosaicos o trabajando con arcilla. Esta conexión inspiró esta serie y alimenta mi inspiración. Restringiendo aún más el enfoque, la Serie Venus se concentra en Venus. Como mujer y artista apasionada por trabajar con la figura, Venus sigue siendo una musa enormemente inspiradora.

Las Venus de esta serie van desde iconográficas, clásicas e incluso divertidas. Lo que tienen en común estas Venus es que son mujeres fuertes con un renovado sentido de agencia que no siempre se ve en el arte clásico. Para no ser identificada como auténtica de ningún país o área geográfica, la serie comenzó con cada Venus con un nombre latino. Pero más adelante en la serie, algunas Venus recibieron nombres de grupos específicos. Las tres primeras Venus de esta serie fueron recopiladas a partir de mapas de mis propios viajes. Desde entonces, otros han donado generosamente sus mapas, a través de los cuales disfruto indirectamente de cada nota garabateada y de cada mancha de café derramado.

Mi naturaleza como artista es no repetirme, por eso no hay dos collages de la Serie Venus diseñados iguales y cada uno se inspiró en algo diferente. Las obras de esta serie varían en escala desde 12 x 12 pulgadas hasta 9 x 12 pies. Los collages se realizan sobre papel, lienzo o tela.

Los mapas son hermosos por sí solos y, a menudo, se les atribuye un valor sentimental. Pueden simbolizar nuestro pasado y/o nuestro futuro. Un mapa puede ser un poderoso recordatorio de nuestros propios viajes: lugares en los que hemos estado, que nos intrigan o que esperamos visitar. La Serie Venus utiliza mapas de formas inesperadas para llevarnos a viajes inesperados.

#1

Venus Temporis (Venus of Time) 2022 15 x 11 in (38 x 28 cm)

The concept for this collage came to me while traveling in the Mediterranean. I created this collage after returning home and back to the studio. Venus Temporis (Venus of Time), celebrates the timeless and global connectedness of women, acknowledging feminine beauty, knowledge, strength and goodness. The collage turned out as I had been envisioning, but I had not anticipated that even though it is made entirely of pieces of timetables and train schedules from maps, the collage is not easily recognizable as being made from maps. This Venus gets her name form the timetables.

#2

Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps) 2022 28 x 22 in (71 x 56 cm)

The second Venus, Venus ex Tabulae (Venus of Maps), is a slightly larger variation of the original Venus of the series and was collaged with the intention of being quickly recognized as being made from maps. (Moreso than the first Venus.)  Like the first Venus, she pays homage to the timeless and global connectedness of women, celebrating their beauty, knowledge, strength and goodness.

#3

Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) 2023 72 x 30 in (183 x 76 cm)

Wanting to work in a larger scale, I created a life-sized Venus. I also wanted this Venus to have more of a three-dimensional form. This process required collaging many tiny map pieces and was more meticulous and slower paced. But how rewarding seeing Venus come to life, limb by limb. She is made from maps of my own travels from various coastal towns of Portugal, Spain, Italy and Greece, which is why Venus Maris (Venus of the Sea) is named for the sea.

#4

Venus Sui (Self Venus) 2023 65 x 47 in (165 x 119 cm)

Wanting to work larger than life-size, I collaged a 5-foot-tall head. My initial goal was to create a face that didn’t identify with any specific ethnicity – which has since led me to wonder if such a face exists. I started the collage by using beautiful blue and lavender map pieces to create her facial features. But rather than looking like she could be any ethnicity, to me she looked European. Abandoning my original plan and realising she coincidentally had been made from maps of places where I have lived, I turned her into a self-portrait - hence the name Venus Sui (Self Venus). Ironically, she went from an attempt to represent all women to representing just one woman – me.

#5

Venus Degentium (Venus Diaspora) 2023 36 x 24 in (91 x 61 cm)

The fifth Venus, Venus Degentium (Diaspora Venus), represents the African diaspora (separation from ancestral homeland). This Venus’s physical characteristics celebrate African femininity, in contrast to the classical Greek and Roman feminine ideal that we often see in Western art. Her natural, full hair is made from a collage of the United States. She stands regally upon triple symbolism: an open book(truth and knowledge); lotus flower (serenity); and half-shell(beauty). At her feet is a vintage map of the world misleadingly entitled, “The Age of Discovery”. She is unchained, but the pages of the book are bound together with chains representing our inescapable tie to our nation’s history. She wears a halo in homage to the martyrdom and suffering which began with the transatlantic slave trade. In her hand she holds the continent of Africa in a loose grip.

#6

Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) 2023 102 x 43 in (259 x 109 cm)

The sixth Venus, Venus Asiaticus (Asian Venus) spans 8 ½ feet. She is not limited to a specific area or country. Her elegant hands, held in an offset position, are reminiscent of Asian wood carvings. She symbolizes strength and serenity.

#7

Venus Sirenusae (Mermaid Venus / Siren Venus) 2023 30 x 80 in (76 x 203 cm)

The most playful of the Venuses, Venus Sirenusae is known as both Mermaid Venus or Siren Venus since the word for mermaid in Latin, Spanish and French are each derivatives of the word siren.  This Venus was inspired by a boating trip to the Sirenusas Islands, off the Amalfi coast. How thrilling to see that the tiny islands we know from Homer’s Odyssey really do exist. In Greek mythology the sweetness of the sirens’ song lured sailors to their destruction, but this Venus wouldn’t hurt a fly. She is a life-sized mermaid (if such a thing exists), and the first of the Venus series to be represented in a reclining position. She wears a starfish crown, sunglasses, and a bikini top made from maps of the United States. Perched on a floating map of the world she rides a wave under a radiant sun.

#8

Venus Abolitionis (Venus of Abolition) 2023 20.5 x 24 in (55 x 61 cm)

The eighth Venus uses vintage maps of Paris and New York City, the two cities with historical connections to the Statue of Liberty. Sadly forgotten is the little-known fact that the statue was originally made to commemorate emancipation - the end of slavery in the United States. She was originally named La Liberté Éclairant le Monde (Liberty Enlightening the World) by the French abolitionist Edouard de Laboulaye, who conceived of and commissioned this monument. Ironically, because of segregation, no Blacks were allowed to attend the dedication ceremony on October 28, 1886. No women were allowed to attend either.

#9

Venus Aquatilis (Underwater Venus) 2023 108 x 144 in (274 x 365 cm)

The ninth Venus of the series swims towards the ocean floor accompanied by a sea turtle, basking in the flora and fauna of their surroundings. Using surprisingly little modifications, a map of English Channel was transformed into Venus's torso, head and flowing hair. This coral reef includes a giant sea fan, schools of fish, corals, sponges, starfish, jellyfish, an octopus and seahorse. The maps used in this collage have fun playing with Mother Nature’s tendency to repeat and recycle similar visual patterns sometimes in monumentally different scales: Rivers and coastlines from maps become the veins and edges of the collage’s giant sea fan. 

#10 

Venus Mundi (Venus of the World) 2024 12 x 12 in (30 x 30 cm

The  tenth collage depicts Venus standing atop a map of the world, earning her name, Venus Mundi (Venus of the World). Created specifically to display at the Fairmont Hotel during Frieze LA 2024 (the international art fair), this piece can be thought of as a 12 x 12-inch business card of sorts, enticing Frieze guests to visit the rest of the Venus series. 

#11

Coelestis Venus (Celestial Venus) 2024 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm)

The eleventh Venus stands beside an astronomical map, a cartographic representation of the stars and galaxies of the Northern and Southern Skies. The Venus figure was collaged using maps from around the world. Her crown is fashioned from a map of a fortified wall in ancient Rome. The iconic 1748 plan of Ancient Rome was made by Italian cartographer and architect Giambattista Nolli (1701-1765). This Venus was created specifically for a group show of small works.

#12 

Venus Lunae (Venus of the Moon) 10 x 14 in (25 x 35 cm).

Against a black canvas, appears a cartographer's representation of the lunar landscape and the seas of the Moon,  while Venus Lunae majestically rides a shooting star. This is the only Venus to be hand drawn, rather than made from a collage. Cut rice paper depicts the phases of the Moon.

#13

Venus Pacis (Venus of Peace) 86 x 36 in (213 x 91 cm); 

Venus Pacis marks my being less of a purist, by incorporating paper other than maps into the collage. My own drawings and calligraphy as well as coloured and printed papers appear in the collage series for the first time. A dilemma of using only maps has been the limited colour palette of maps. Maps are often white or pastel colours, which lacks darker values. Drawing or using coloured papers solves this problem.

Venus Pacis was created for a group exhibition which theme is responding to what's happening in our world today. In our divided world, one thing that can probably be agreed upon is that this post-pandemic election year, fraught with global climate crises and global conflicts has been challenging for everyone. My personal belief is that a peaceful resolution is the optimum goal for overcoming differences. World peace is a concept that I have held close to my heart for my entire life. As a three- or four-year-old I learned to term Peace on Earth, when it was read to me from a greeting card. I was aware that there was a war existing in the world, but believed that this one conflict was all that stood between the human race and the magnificence of a peaceful planet. For years I waited for the conflict to end, while in the meantime I learned of other conflicts elsewhere on the planet. Attaining world peace would be more difficult than I had initially imagined, but I still bear hope today. This Venus expresses my continued dream for world peace and a belief that a peaceful resolution is the optimum goal for overcoming conflict.