Margo Klass: An Alaskan Book of Hours
at the Alaska State Museum
March 23 - April 28, 2012
I conceived the Alaskan Book of Hours as a series of visual meditations inspired by the Alaskan landscape. While it is based on the medieval Book of Hours, my interpretation is specifically Alaskan. The Hours of the day – Matins, Lauds, Prime, Terce, Sext, None, Vespers, Compline – become reflections of the seasons as we pass from winter’s snow and its dawn of light (Matins), to the rebirth of plant growth at green-up (Lauds), the triumphant arrival of spring (Prime), the ever-present light of Summer Solstice (Terce), the fullness of summer (Sext), the harvest time that follows (None), the grey light of late fall (Vespers), and finally the absence of light at Winter Solstice (Compline).
The landscape inspirations are largely those from Interior Alaska, particularly my home in Fairbanks. Matins – Winter, for example, is based on skiing my favorite wooded trails at the University, a perfect combination of exercise, relaxation, and meditation. Terce – Summer Solstice reflects my feeling for the open spaces and incessant light of summer. Compline – Winter Solstice expresses a quiet reverence for the dark cosmic vastness. Although my tenure as an Alaskan resident is not yet a decade, I have become bound to this landscape and the rhythm of its seasons.
The other pieces included in this show also reference what I think of as my Alaskan self. I had never seen a sundog until, standing in the parking lot of Sam’s Sourdough Café, I looked up and was startled by this strange phenomenon. Fishing on Nome Creek, where I found it difficult to walk on its slippery and shiny tailings, inspired the imagery of Then: Nome Creek. After visiting Mendenhall Glacier I discovered the perfect combination of objects to represent its icy mass. These constructions are responses to what I do and where I travel, and sometimes to what happens when I look out the window beyond the breakfast table.
I combine found, natural, and fabricated objects to form my compositions. The space between objects is defined in niche-like boxes whose windows and skylights join interior with exterior. Covering the boxes are handmade Japanese papers. Their fibrous edges absorb the glue and produce defining lines that indicate the architectural framework within each box.
Photographs by Sara Boesser
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Gallery View
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Fata Morgana
2009
Mixed media
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Gallery View
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Gallery View
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An Alaskan Book of Hours
Vespers – Fall
2011
Mixed media
An Alaskan Book of Hours
Sext – Summer
2011
Mixed media
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An Alaskan Book of Hours
Sext – Summer
2011
Mixed media
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Sun Dog
2012
Mixed media
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An Alaskan Book of Hours
Matins – Winter
2011
Mixed media
An Alaskan Book of Hours
Lauds – Green-up
2011
Mixed media
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Gallery View
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January Light
2007
Mixed media
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Mendenhall Glacier
2012
Mixed media
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Tanana Solstice
2010
Mixed media
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Erratic
2010
Mixed media
Confluence
2009
Mixed media
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McCarthy Morning
2012
Mixed media
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McCarthy Morning
2012
Mixed media
Tea House
2012
Mixed media
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Tea House
2012
Mixed media
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Tea House
2012
Mixed media
Reading Room
Mixed media
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Reading Room
Mixed media
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Gallery view
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Temple II
2012
Mixed media
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Bird Point
2012
Mixed media
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