Observational drawing is at the root of all my work. As I draw, I’m fully exploring the formal arrangements of line and shape. Most recently, the little tangles of discarded wire, string and other detritus that I’ve found have caught my attention. During the drawing process, the work pushes beyond the initial exploration and moves into metaphor. These apparent snags and snarls become a meditative labyrinth as I follow my way through them. Following the chaotic knots become a way to move through time, life experiences and memory. 

With the cyanotype process, I explore the ideas of documentation and slippage. Photography traditionally aims to capture a moment, to document truth in a tangible form. On the one hand,
the cyanotype process provides straightforward, graphic documentation of a very specific botanical specimen. On the other hand, an ambiguity emerges. There’s an inherent
impermanence and unpredictability in both the process and the world around us. Slippage is recognized where the logic and rationality break down. The Garden Series celebrates not the purposefully planted and carefully tended plants, but the unintended “weeds” that find their way into the landscape uninvited. They are celebrated and documented in all their glory.

Maryanna has two distinct series available.  Please let us know which you prefer.

Click on the images below for more information on each piece.  For sales reach out to: maryanna.adelman@gmail.com