Tracks: Enthused Duet

A Collaboration of Poetry, Image, and Sound

by Carol Marie Vossler & Daniel W. Berggren

Art Opening Reception: Friday March 30 6-8pm

From March 30 to April 28, forARTSake is featuring a unique exhibit entitled Tracks: Enthused Duets that combines handmade books, prints, paper, poetry and soundscapes by visual artist Carol Marie Vossler and musician/writer Daniel W. Berggren. This show or, as the artists prefer, collaboration involves mixing more than media: it layers text, color, time and sound so that viewers will have more to do than just look…they have to listen as well. 

Tracks: Enthused Duet is the second showing of what has become a two-part collaboration. The first was titled simply Tracks (presented last September at Bluseed Studios in Saranac Lake) and contained handmade books with accompanied haiku, soundscapes, monotypes, and pulp paintings. The artwork evolved systematically. Vossler responded to each haiku via the medium of printmaking, and then Berggren responded to Vossler’s choice of color, methods of construction and medium to compose his “soundscapes” which round out each artist book. 

Tracks: Enthused Duets will exhibit three new books and an assortment of monotypes, but this time the whole process has evolved “telepathically” according to the artists. “Instead of waiting to see or hear what the other artist came up with, we had similar ideas and/or solutions almost at the same time!” states Vossler. Berggren adds, “Enthused Duets is what happens when two artists sing the same song in different spaces; dance their own steps to music which isn’t physically there; listen to one another even though no one is speaking”. 

“Working in this manner has kept me from what I fear most…staying in the comfort zone,” says Vossler. “I love mixing things up and am very fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with a versatile artist such as Dan.”

For Berggren, the experience is enriching as well. He states, “Writing songs or poems is a solitary experience, but collaboration is a new path for me. It is exciting, challenging, and a lot of fun to work with Carol who is a very dynamic visual artist. The bouncing of ideas back and forth has helped me see things in new ways.”

The public has the special opportunity to meet the artists and get a sneak preview of who they are and more information on what their art show at forARTSake is all about on Thursday at 7:00 PM on NCPR’s Open Studio with Todd Moe.

Tracks: Enthused Duets opens live on Friday, March 30 at forARTSake with a meet-the-artist reception from 6-8 PM. All are welcome to attend the artist reception to meet these two outstanding North Country artists and encouraged to visit forARTSake any time during business hours Tuesday to Friday from 10 to 5 and on Saturday from 10 to 4.