DOROTHEA ROCKBURNE

Dorothea Rockburne liked to draw. And many of them had layers of transparency.

Her principal interest was mathematics. So most of her works have a geometric precision which relates to fundamental properties of arcs, triangles, squares, etc. She was one of the blessed who happened to be at Black Mountain College during the early 50’s. All kinds of modernist greats were nurtured there. Rockburne, an artist, was mentored by Max Dehn, a mathematician. She has been quoted as saying that she never lost her fascination with mathematics.

Many of her drawings involve folding and overlay of paper. So lines were drawn, which she then folded precisely to evoke overlay. The transparency of her drawing at the left comes from the translucence of the paper. The drawings still remain as arrangement of shapes rather than resolved dimensional forms. Still, she was broaching transparency. She was employing a transparency to start to suggest a dimensionality.

Her drawings are dimensional themselves. The folds create a dimensional topography. Some of her drawings are simultaneously on the floor and the wall. Others are continuous from the wall to the floor. Others required physical input from the viewer. So her drawings contain a time component. Which moves her closer to Transparent Drawing.

For my drawing, I knowledged the basic geometry of her drawing above. I then did some fantasy projections just to get some dimensionality going so as to start to approach a form resolution. However, I still wanted to stay true to her drawing parti, just so that I might learn from the layers and the transparency that she employed. And depending on how I look at my drawing, I can almost get a complete form.

An exhibit of her drawings just opened at Dia Beacon. One of her Drawing Which Makes Itself is on display, among others.