by Rowan Johnson
SOU Class of 2025, Creative Writing

Peggy Ahwesh, The Fallen (video), 2024, single-channel video, color, sound (5:24 minutes), courtesy of the artist

From scripted documentaries to soundless, improvised performances, Ahwesh uses digital animation, found footage, and low-end technologies to bring her creations to life. Her start in the 1970s punk scene is still found in the DIY feminist nature of her current work. Her exploration of traditionally feminine spheres and the mundane individual is often juxtaposed with elements of the absurd and surreal. In this space, Ahwesh makes pointed commentary on society while not telling viewers exactly what to think. Her films Martina's Playhouse (1989), The Deadman (made with Keith Sanborn, 1989), Strange Weather (1993), and Nocturne (1998) are all part of the MOMA’s permanent collection. Her video The Fallen can be found in the Treehaven Gallery in the Schneider Museum of Art. It should be noted that the film is not suitable for those with photosensitivity and seizures. Learn more about Peggy Ahwesh and her work with the link below.

https://www.gf.org/fellows/peggy-ahwesh/

(left) Anoka Faruqee and David Driscoll, 2021P-04, 2024, acrylic on linen on panel, courtesy of the artists (right) Anoka Faruqee and David Driscoll, 2021P-25, 2021, Acrylic on linen on panel Courtesy of the artists, Installation Shot by Ezra Marcos

Moiré started as a kind of textile that was made of silk. To make it, craftsmen would press two silk sheets against each other while wet. The pressure and moisture made the strands of silk shift slightly. When it dried, the silk strands dried at varying distances, giving the illusion of rippling fabric. The water-like finish captured designers' attention. While they worked with the fabric, artists began to try to mimic the effect in a two-dimensional sphere. This is where mathematicians and physicists stepped in. They figured out that slightly offsetting some of the lines and utilizing negative space led to a similar effect because of the distribution of light particles. Artists Anoka Faruqee and David Driscoll play with this effect and go a step further by adding color into their blank space. The overlapping spirals against a gradient background create a shimmering effect like a vinyl record. Find a fun moiré project in the link below, and see Faruqee and Driscoll's works in the Heiter Gallery of the Schneider Museum of Art.

https://www.exploratorium.edu/snacks/moire-patterns