H. David Waddell : Lawndale Residency 2009-2010

Lawndale Residency 2009-2010

I started the residency with a group of collages that I had been working on since March 2009. It was the side work of my previous installation with Kelly Ulcak. These small collages gradually became the center of my work. They became larger and more layered. I created collages that had intriguing textures and shapes. It was like solving a Soduko puzzle for me. As the magazines changed, the creatures evolved from the grotesque to architectural to cartoon.

The collages incorporated spray paint at the beginning but later pared down to the creature on vellum. The presentation is meant to highlight the specimen in a scientific light.

The most recent phase of the project included 'scientific research.' A group of people were asked to choose one of the specimens. They were told to use Wikipedia as their source. By researching different topics, they would come to a conclusion as to what the creature is, when they roamed the earth, where the lived, their defense mechanisms, etc. In a sense, this project is the largest collaboration I have worked on.

This project shows how different people research and learn. It opened up science through different means. The final product questions the boundaries of truth/fiction and how we come to this information.