Abstract in Tape and Letterforms Three Long Sleeve T-Shirt

This piece is constructed entirely of "counters," i.e. the inside shapes of letters, or what is normally seen as negative shapes on the inside of letters.

I spent about a year working as the in-house graphic designer for a manufacturing company in Torrance, California, where they produced sign lettering machines and the self-adhesive tape used in the machines. Access to lots of tape and the machines, and some spare time, lead to this series of pieces constructed from the tape. For the print I have cleaned up the image to make the colors more solid, clear, and defined.

Self-adhesive tape on poster board, original app. 12" x 18"; c. 1986. The high resolution scan I made of this piece allows it to be printed up to about 22" x 28" at full resolution.

It must be genetic. My father was a photographer, my mother a singer. I have a brother who is a sculptor, a sister who is an artist, another sister who is a singer, and another sister who creates mad martinis. I have worked as a graphic designer, an illustrator, and a long list of the usual odd jobs, including wildfire fighter, chef's assistant, school and ski area bus driver, newspaper columnist, pizza cook, hod carrier, short order cook, and art director. I spent a lot of time outside when I was growing up, immersed in the natural world, and that hasn't changed. I bike, ski, kayak, raft, write fiction and non, and am constantly intrigued by all aspects of natural history, science, and new technology. All of which informs,...