Detail: Central panel of the triptych, Diary notes 1992-1997 Wood, graphite, colored pencil, acrylic, modeling paste One element of the PROCRUSTES TRILOGY: Procrustes In Situ Oratorio--variation on a Theme by Joseph Bor Martyrs of the Cities of the Plain Below is a transcription of the artist's words above: July 30—August 1 Brighton Press 1993 First bedding went well—there will be a book—. August 1-5 Test plate of drypoint and embossing relief finished and sent to B.P.—B.P. phoned on Aug. 13th to say both proofed out satisfactorily—6" x 10" paper backing for seven reliefs started. August 13th—negative! Paper too flimsy—twisting, warping, etc. Aug. 16th—have experimented with back of etching-plate...sandpapering and gessoing of green backing will work for finished reliefs. Will phone B.P. this morning—. Aug. 19th—seven copper 6" x 10" reliefs underway—will use paper lay-ins for unbroken predella on the same board where text was written and cut free. Aug 20th-22nd—B.P. here for second session: Terra Vert line and flat color—resolution of red purple blue transition across seven embossed reliefs....first trial proofs look good. Aug. 23rd—continuing work on both copper-back of reliefs and paper-back predella. Sept 1st—still waiting for test proof from B.P.—work on reliefs continues—eager to begin drypoint on 18" x 27" engraving plates.... Sept 3rd-18th—continuous work on reliefs—first proof arrived from B.P.—embossed relief with printed text seems nearly perfect—unhappy with drypoint—no life in the drawing. Sept. 19th-23rd—drypointing of seven copper plates...perhaps, perhaps—at least I no longer feel intimidated by the process—. Sept 24th—back to lower studio and reliefs. October 7th—all plates and reliefs completed. Oct. 8 9 10th B.P. here for color proofing of red-blue text. Oct. 11th—all materials now in hands of B.P. for proofing. November 8th—have written two monologues for the book: Traveler and Guest. The work will now consist of 11 pages including a table of contents—. Nov. 17 arrival of first proof of seven completed prints—unsatisfactory with no plate color, imperfect sequence of red to blue text, etc. Nov. 18, 19, 20 intense few days with B.P. 2nd proofs promised before Christmas–. Jan. 13th second set of proofs received.... Seven pulls and seven ghosts—the ghosts are the way I first envisioned this suite. The first and seventh proofs seem a bit light. The print-outs of the two monologues are poor and were rejected. B.P. to arrive on Jan. 20th. Jan. 20th—23rd—good sessions with B.P.—book moves ever closer to realization. Feb. 12th—book arrives with linen box and monologue proofs—I have returned the entire package with a bon a tirer relative to certain corrections and changes—February 14th 1994. ------------- The PREPARATORY STUDY FOR PROCRUSTES INN REGISTER and for PROCRUSTES IN SITU consists of a triptych of 4’ wide wall panels. The first panel, that on the left, is the preparatory study for each of the seven pages of PROCRUSTES INN REGISTER, writing concerning the structure and the metaphors to be included in the work, and a record of its being created both by the artist and by Brighten Press. The middle panel is the preparatory study for the sculpture then to be realized in PROCRUSTES IN SITU with a brief statement about each of the “seven beds” within the Inn of Procrustes, that of the father, the young man, fear, tradition, the young woman, the child and the mother. On the third panel, that on the right, are the preparatory drawings for the tablets which lean against the pedestal of each of the seven beds in PROCRUSTES IN SITU as well as the dialogues between the occupants of the beds and a particular manifestation of Procrustes, and an explanation of these dialogues. At the bottom of each panel are brief entries by the artist as if in his own diary, personal thoughts and a record of actual events relating directly to the general concept of the restrictive and debilitating power of Procrustes. Within these entries at the bottom of each panel appear three fragments of the running monologue/diatribe of Procrustes that is embossed into the surface of each of the plates of the turning torsos seen at the top of each of the seven pages of PROCRUSTES INN REGISTER, a monologue/diatribe that reads from left to right across all seven of these plates/pages and is as beautiful as it is violent. Beneath the three panels is the study for the embossing plates which were used in the printing process of Procrustes Inn Register and that appear on the pedestals of each of the seven “beds” of Procrustes In Situ. This “Predella” consists of four torsos in a seven times repeating configuration of male, male, female, female and in which each torso makes a quarter turn, the first figure counter-clockwise, the second clockwise, etcetera, from left to right the entire length of the study. These torsos begin in a relatively shallow relief at the left and emerge ever higher until the

Mariah Anne Johnson “The Fruited Plain” “O' beautiful, for spacious skies, For amber waves of grain, For purple mountain majesties Above the fruited plain!” --Katherine Lee Bates, “America the Beautiful” During this time of historic change in our nation, I am filled with hope for my future as an artist and a citizen. I was inspired by my hope to create this artwork, The Fruited Plain. Our country is a place of abundance; we are blessed with fertile soil, fertile hearts, and fertile minds. I believe that in the coming days and years we will be inspired to work together to harvest this bounty for the benefit of us all. My work with sheets grew out of my thinking about my mother’s efforts at maintaining aesthetic order in her home—even if the rest of the house is a wreck, she wants her linen closet to be beautiful when she opens the door. Similarly, I construct formal arrangements from bed linens, particularly sheets and pillowcases. I fold and pile these sheets on simple shelves or chairs, as well as on and around the significant or quirky architectural features of an exhibition space. I think of these folding and stacking activities as akin to creating paintings with brush and canvas. The interactions among color combinations, printed patterns, and folding systems become visually engrossing and reference abstract or minimalist paintings. However, because I am using these non-traditional materials that are so intimately connected with human bodies, the works are also infused with the memories and habits of their previous owners. But since these previous owners are strangers, there is no great-aunt or grandmother to tell me the story associated with the object. These histories are lost, so the sheets become material for pieced together, re-imagined histories, including the narrative of my own processes of folding, stacking, and layering. Whether piled in the awkward corners of a room or layered on a shelf, the sheets are reminders of a variety of human activities: sleeping, dreaming, housekeeping, lovemaking, birthing, dying, etc. They offer us a glimpse into the linen closets of other people and other times and remind us of our own experiences in the comforting confines of bed. Dates Januray 10 - February 2009 Reception: January 24 , 2009 6-9 pm Curated by Liza Simone Artist Contact MariahJohnson.com Location 340 E 3rd St Long Beach, CA 90802 Photo by Liza simone