The River from North Mississippi Regional Park
A grant project funded by the Minnesota Center for Book Arts/Jerome Foundation in 2009
I scouted up and down a section of the Mississippi decided to work from the North Mississippi Regional Park, right across from the small island where herons nest and to the south is the 42nd bridge.
The final works are 9 x 12, 9 x 9 and 9 inches x 8 ft. For the book, 2 are two 4 foot accordion folds of the 8 ft painting. They are done in graphite, acrylic, and ink. I drew and painted on site when I could but the winter images are from photographs I took. I tried drawing out there when snow was on the ground – just couldn’t work out there in the MN cold. The works show the 4 seasons.
A careful exploration of nature takes shape in Kalk’s artist’s book. The River from North Mississippi Regional Park is a book of drawings and paintings that create a portrait of a single spot on the river in Minneapolis from winter through fall. Kalk’s chosen area is on the river embankment, across from a small island where herons nest. The artist elaborates: “From here you almost forget you are in the city except one can hear the hum of traffic from I-94, see the blue Camden Bridge that spans the river nearby, and decipher the city in the distance. I drew and painted on site when possible; the winter images are painted from my own photographs. I also filmed the site multiple times during the year.” The culminating artist’s book features an 8-foot by 9-inch painting of the river in a 180-degree view, divided into two 4-foot accordion folds. Additional pages illustrate delicate details: roots, insects, flowers and additional views of the landscape.
Here is a selection of images: