In The Mind's Eye

2021

Relief Print on Paper

14 x 14''

Edition of 3

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One of the earliests memories I have of my Japanese grandfather is his lesson on how to make a paper crane. We are sitting at my Mom’s breakfast table, and he patiently shows me the steps. At the time, about a year before 1st grade perhaps, I could only complete the first three steps to a satisfactory level, so I would do the first three steps then hand him the paper. I was always amazed that he finished faster than me, even though I had the easier steps and a head start. However, the highlight of the memory is the silver crane he pulled out from his jacket. Made from the wrapper of a small Hershey’s Kiss or Chocolate bar, the crane stood no more than 3 cm tall and the tips of its wings were sharp and straight. 

 

Due to dementia, he does not remember anymore.  

In The Mind’s Eye shows two hands folding a paper crane, “Origami.” The bold, rough lines of the hands juxtapose with the delicate and parallel lines of the crane. Behind the hands, the next step in the process of making the crane is repeated, fading out of view. On-top of the crane-in-progress, a completed crane shimmers in silver. Above and below, a flock of “purple” crested cranes fly off. Together, the square image and background references the “square” paper used for Origami, the less commonly used foil paper, and the rarely used and highly decorative washi paper (of which a similar type is used for this print). The illusion of the completed crane is the same silver as the realistic cranes on the top and bottom of the print. The purple crests of the latter, hard to make out against the black, are a deviation from their natural red color, and alludes to memory loss (purple is the official color of the Alzheimer's association).