Stardom and the Milky Way - Herman Kamphuis

Herman is long overdue a reply, but that hasn't stopped him sending me this packed envelope and another I haven't opened yet! He seems to have been paying attention as the envelope nods to my recent trip to Maine.  We did drive back down to Boston, but not in anything as stylish as Herman's car… and the ferry to Cranberry (while friendly and local) is not a Cunard.

 I've named this mailing 'Stardom and the Milky Way' because the first relationship I saw in the two parallel images was that the one on the left is dressed to go to the stars (well into space, anyway) and the one on the right is surely an actor, sat at his dressing table, readying himself to go onstage. Of course he is on his way to being a star. Herman's beguiling marbeled background is the Milky Way to me.

 

 Meanwhile, Herman and Vizma are focused on hands! see Vizma's collab here: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=1768507573404309&set=a.1429917203930016.1073741838.100007352500564&type=3&theater&notif_t=like&notif_id=1475996047863291
I love the way Herman expertly guides my eye from green to green and then hand to hand and stamp to stamp and onto radio grid. The sculpture and then the negative space around the radio and hand come next.  It a dance of objects and colour.

Next year I am fashioning the real thing of this vegetable hat. Ascot here I come! The way Herman, draws, assembles, collages and inks is sheer brilliance.

Below is a wonderful assortment of hand cut papers, ready for use in a return piece. I promise to reply, but suspect I won't want to cut, over even use a part of any of these treasures! Huge thanks as always.