the days are short

evening comes quickly

my backpack is so heavy

Santoka Taneda

cottonwoods

Albuquerque bosque

dew and

fallen leaves

swept up together

Santoka Taneda

Grass books i-ix (anitya series) 

Dissolving in time. Leonora Curtin Wetlands, Santa Fe, NM

By spring 2017 there will only be a red stain (local clay) left on the grasses, if that. See previous posts for piece details.

installation late September 2016

detail November 5, 2016

November 5, 2016

stretching out their branches
the winter trees

Santoka Taneda

Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona

nothing else to do
spread fallen leaves sleep on them
the mountain’s beauty

Santoka Taneda

Cochise stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona

autumn wind

for all my walking

for all my walking

Santoka Taneda

Cochise Stronghold, Dragoon Mountains, Arizona

'grass book i-ix (anitya series)'

After almost 4 weeks in the sun with a bit of rain the 'books' are looking more like their surroundings. The grass paper has turned from a luscious forest green to golden brown and the clay is cracking and beginning to dissolve. 

As expected.   Anitya.

2 new photos: Mary Zaremba

10/22/16

 day of installation 9/27/16

Mornings are good
leaves fallen
leaves yet to fall

Santoka Taneda

la Luz trail Sandia Mountain Albuquerque, NM

peace for the heart
life in the mountains

santoka Taneda

la Luz trail Sandia Mountain Albuquerque, NM

autumn 

already reddening the leaves

of the mountain sumac

Santoka Taneda

la Luz trail Sandia Mountain Albuquerque, NM

frog

still a baby

middle of the green leaf

Santoka Taneda

Leonora Curtin Wetland Preserve, Santa Fe, NM

With the help of friends, 'grass book i-ix (anitya series)' was installed yesterday in the Leonora Curtin wetlands just south of Santa Fe. Part of the Wilderness Acts 2016 sponsored by Axle Contemporary gallery.

The installation consists of 9 books made of local terracotta clay (unfired),  each filled with 3 pieces of paper made from native grasses, and a square of copper leaf to catch the sun. 

Anitya is the Sanskrit word for 'impermanence'. As all the materials are of the earth they will return to the earth over time with rain and snow.  Because this is a desert environment the dissolution process will take time. 

 The July 20th post on this blog has a detailed image of one of the books.

winter sky
distant dream
shattered and flown away

Santoka Taneda

lunch today

sitting on the grass

two tomatoes

Santoka Taneda

german striped heirloom

cuckoo
tomorrow I'll cross over
that mountain

Santoka Taneda

late summer, early morning, Sandia Mountain

all through my body

goodness of mountains

good taste of water

Santoka Taneda

irrigation ditch, north valley Albuquerque

the autumn sky

far away

I share your joy

Santoka Taneda

west mesa, Albuquerque

after all 
its sad to be alone
the withered grasses

Santoka Taneda

midsummer meadow Brazos Cliffs

my new robe 
full of sunlight and warmth

Santoka Taneda

sunrise Brazos Cliffs

Nothing left to eat
today's sunrise

Santoka Taneda

early morning walk Sandia Mountains

Fall of 2016 I have been invited to participate in Wilderness Act 2016, a land art installation.
http://www.axleart.com/upcoming 
Lenora Curtin Wetlands is the location. This beautiful wetland is just south of Santa Fe and is part of the Santa Fe botanic gardens. A fine respite in the desert.


"Untitled (Anitya series)" will be a grid of 9 'grass books' made from un-fired red terracotta clay gathered from our property in northern New Mexico. I made the book's paper pages from native grasses. The books are bound with grasses.  

Anitya is a Sanskrit word for "impermanence". The first Anitya installation was in 2009.
http://annecooperstudio.com/installations%20one.html

The books will dissolve back into the earth over time. 

raw terracotta clay, grass paper, kaolin clay, grass, bee's wax
12" L x 6" W x 1.5" D

red of the dawn sky
red of the sunset sky 
nothing to eat

Santoka Taneda

if its cloudy, it bleats
the single goat

Santoka Taneda

Juan Tabo Sandia Mountains

doze off

dream of home

reed leaves rustling

Santoka Taneda

Lenora Curtin wetland Santa Fe, NM

owl in owl's way

I in mine

can't get to sleep

Santoka Taneda

great horned  fledgling Albuquerque bosque

Glory of the morning sky
heralds the coming of rain
must sow the seeds of radish

Santoka Taneda

Sandia Mountain sunrise

Such delicious water
overflowing

Santoka Taneda

Boone NC

The sound of water

truly I've calmed down

Santoka Taneda

From the mountain
white flowers to my desk

Santoka Taneda

Rising high high higher
walking toward the clouds

Santoka Taneda

Sandia Mountain May day

rock
shadow
water 

gushing
sure
as 
I live

Santoka Taneda

Juan Tabo canyon, Sandia Moutains NM

Ill alone
a morning turns into evening
green leaves

Santoka Taneda

cottonwood, Sandia Mountains

this cloud there

let the rain down

that soaked me

Santoka Taneda

Lenora Curtin wetland Santa Fe, NM

With the moonlight behind me I cross the water

Santoka Taneda

Leonora Curtin wetland preserve. Santa Fe, NM

Over the past couple weeks there has been a mini controversy about my project FEEL OF THE NEEDLE: THE RAKUSU PROJECT. 
http://annecooperstudio.com/rakusu%20project.html

A local Soto Zen priest deemed the project to be a totally inappropriate use of the Buddhist garment, the Rakusu. And he let me know in searing emails.

A post with the link to the YouTube video and my website was put up on a Soto Zen Buddhist list serve. Of course, anytime one uploads anything to such a public site as YouTube it's fair game. I had not realized that this was going out into cyber-land, I suppose to drum up support for his position.

And he did get support, but so did I. The generous outpouring of understanding, appreciation and sympathy for the project brought me and my cast to tears. I'm still in awe of all the generous comments that came my way. But aware of the negative out there as well.

We do hope to find other venues for the project, we've done two performances to date, one here in my studio (2014) and another in 2015 in Austin. (A Soto Zen Rakusu sewing class attended and enjoyed the Austin performance/installation.)

Controversy in art is never a bad thing, that I am led to believe. My art work has never been edgy. So this is new territory. I am too interested in beauty to make confrontational work. I have been deeply saddened that my project has been hurtful in any way. That was never my intent.  But truly this project which I have worked on for 3 years has been the most important work of my long career.

You can read about it's genesis on my website. annecooperstudio.com

Anderson Field, my heart place

late at night, the snow

is piling higher and higher

muffling the sounds of the waterfall

Ryokan

Waterfall canyon, Brazos Cliffs Christmas Day 2015

Who can sympathize with my life?

my hut lies near the top of the mountain,

and the path leading here is covered with weeds.

on the fence, a single gourd,

from across the river, the sound of logging.

ill, I lie on the pillow, and watch the sunrise.

a bird cries in the distance-

my only consolation.

Ryokan

the original  La Bajada Camino Real road south of Santa Fe, New Years Day

Wind and snow, then snow and rain:

tonight, awakened by the cry of a wild goose

in the dark, endless winter sky.

Ryokan