Nebulae. - 2017

Chicago, Illinois:: Ann Tyler,, 2017.. Edition of 20. 9 x 13"; 9 leaves. Inkjet printing on Hahnemühle Museum Etching with deckled edges 350 gsm paper. Laid in paper case (10.24 x 13.25") of Murillo by Fabriano 360 gsm. Slip and tab closure. Signed by the artist. Ann Tyler: "Seven views of nebula in the 'night sky.' Nebulae are comprised of gas and particles formed when portions of interstellar media undergo a gravitational collapse. In Nebulae the beauty of the destructive and formative aspects of the universe is posed against a 'gravitational collapse' on earth during warfare. Bombing reduces the solid matter of human lives to particles. "The nebula images were created by observing many NASA images and then selecting particular newspaper source images of skies recorded during bombings. The actual source of the base image is revealed at the end of the series - Gaza, Syria, Ukraine, Yemen. "The Rilke quote builds through each sequence to form both its original meaning and additional interpretations in juxtaposition with the images. The images when seen only as nebula serve as an augmentation of the poem's intended meanings. when one realizes the source of the images the poetry fragment assumes additional meanings. For example, the pages containing only 'not to forget' and 'you' - in the Rilke poem one can read 'you' as the wonderful world making life worth living. When connected to the bombing, 'Not to forget / you' becomes a chilling statement directed toward the perpetrators of the bombings.