RiTUAL. A ceremonial act ~ Rites used in the course of worship ~ The performance of ceremonial acts ~ The prescribed form of conducting the ceremony ~ A method of procedure that is followed without variation ~ performance with gestures, words, and objects, often in a sequestered place.

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John Dickerson

What began as a way to warm up, focus, and get my head in the studio, became an end in itself. For me, my work is more about process and discovery than the end result. That process includes methods of working that set up a framework or method onto which spontaneous or unconscious forces can manifest themselves. In the case of Ritual Book V, one basic framework is to draw a line curving around itself in a counterclockwise direction keeping the line close to itself while remaining separate, and continuing in that fashion until a tension is created between the line and the edge of the paper. If these parameters were executed by a machine the result would be a circular image without any interior variation. When I execute the same parameters, I allow for spontaneous input from my body, unconscious, or environment which creates the undulating quality of the line. Another basic framework is to draw lines parallel to each other as close to the previous line as possible while remaining separate, again allowing for spontaneous input. The process is meditative and focusing for me. Working in the book format, I make an effort for the facing pages to have a structural kinship.

Ritual Book V

Ink drawing on paper page 1
ink drawing on paper pages 2,3
Ink drawing on paper pages 4,5
Ink drawing on paper pages 6,7

Ink on Paper

$150

RiTUAL 2015 books by this artist

Lago Plomo, Chile John Dickerson, Heavy Bubble, websites for artists Lago Plomo, Chile John Dickerson, Heavy Bubble, websites for artists Lago Plomo, Chile John Dickerson, Heavy Bubble, websites for artists
Lago Plomo, Chile    $20      

Artwork in Ritual Single-sheet book show (2013)

Ritual Book I by John Dickerson Ritual Book I by John Dickerson Ritual Book I by John Dickerson
Ritual Book I         
Ritual Book I  (photo copy) by John Dickerson Ritual Book I  (photo copy) by John Dickerson
Ritual Book I (photo copy)           
Ritual Book II by John Dickerson Ritual Book II by John Dickerson Ritual Book II by John Dickerson
Ritual Book II         
Ritual Book III page 1 by John Dickerson Ritual Book III page 2,3 by John Dickerson Ritual Book III pages 4,5 by John Dickerson
Ritual Book III         
Ritual Book IV page 1 by John Dickerson Ritual Book IV page 1 by John Dickerson Ritual Book IV pages 6,7 by John Dickerson
Ritual Book IV