Corey S. Pressman
King of No Country
March 30 - May 2, 2021
Festival
by W.S. Merwin
Laughter is not a celebration
And may not coax with renewal
The closed heads bending
In their garden at heal of evening
I that am king of no country —
Shall a mind of dry leaves
on the erstwhile meadow
invoke for me a grey retinue?
I would have a weather
Of spells and reflections
Whether dawn or a moon hang
In the green lagoon where fish swim
You have seen the afternoon
Turn among shadows under
A flutter of paper and laurel
Was that a dance of hesitancy?
And a body that made
A specter his companion
Fruitless and dark,
Lay down and embraced a lean shadow.
Art Process Demo
Watch Corey demonstrate his “alphabet of everything” approach to making the King of No Country body of work.
On Process and Paper
While making art, I remember the shape, colors, and textures of everyday phenomena and utilize these to reconstruct an inner world, a place that is rarely mapped. And while the map is not the territory, a map is a sensational guide. I invite you to explore this country with me, with its weather of spells and reflections, where we are all equally at home and equally lost, where we are all paupers who live in the palace. It is a country worth exploring. We are the sovereigns of our subconscious. Come, let’s visit the place while awake.
These are all works on paper. The marks are made with natural pigments, pastels, gouache, charcoal, and graphite. Every piece also incorporates a layer of beeswax either as encaustic or cold wax. This show features 2D pieces as well as paper sculptures and folded paper lanterns.