A Thread Runs Through It

[David Stafford]

I received the latest volley of creativity from the prolific Cheryl Penn who unlike the lilies toils and spins without end. This particular tomette (not a small tomato, but a small tome) is dedicated to my Aunt Ruth who died a few weeks ago and is all about the ephemeral quality of this lively dust we inhabit. We, who are creating ephemera on a daily basis, much of the time, from ephemera, are ephemera are ourselves and Cheryl, with her winding red thread spells out a Carpe Diem that is equal parts exhortation and reminder of that which we might choose to forget.

It begins with Cheryl's lively envelope. Are those fish spawning or belly up?

And then the book itself. A cracked and wooly thatched hut of consequence with blood spilling out in a sinuous skein.

 

Cheryl's books are crunchy in the extreme, raw, textural. Sophisticated artifacts made from cat gut and buffalo hide. Post-apocalyptical creations from the seer on the hill, madly spinning out meaning against the twilight sky.

 

This is the one I fear the most. The spin out, the spun out....end of thread...end of story.

 

Becoming blurry...Cheryl has a endless supply of these scary polaroids with all the faces melding into one great homogeneous family pic. These are your people.

 

TS Eliot gets the last word which he wraps around like snake eating its tail. And the red threads tie it all up in an untidy unraveling musical chord that keeps going even as we stop. Thanks again, Cheryl.

 

[cheryl penn]

two ATC'S on their way to you :-)

[David Stafford]

marie....voila! Aunt Ruth is second from left...Not blurry enough for my taste but pretty good...I took it with my trusty Brown Super 27. Note: Sister Cheryl mugging....it runs in the family....

[Marie Wintzer]

tomette :-))

Big fan of the blurry polaroids! I'm sure your aunt Ruth would absolutely love this.

[De Villo Sloan]

In many ways, this is mail-art at it's best, true human communication.

[cheryl penn]

David, thank you for the fabulous blog. I get a sense of joy sending work to people who appreciate it - so thank you for taking the time to go to so much trouble. The blurry photos - a while back (about 6 years ago) I got a group of friends to dress in their favorite clothes and bring their favorite chairs and come tell me what their dreams/hopes for the future were.  One little life. thats it.  We drift, loose sight and hopes become blurry. We're left like faded images if we dont mark life :-) x