OM.2024.141 - Cathy Zigrossi - USA

OM.2024.141 - Cathy Zigrossi - USA - My Life - collage on panel - 8 x 8 inches - Visual Poetry and Color

 Cathy Zigrossi’s My Life is a vibrant, dimensional 8 x 8-inch collage on panel. It perfectly captures both the personal narrative of the workshop participant and the formal rules of the Visual Poetry and Color exhibition concept.

Visual Composition and Focal Points

• The Dimensional Focal Point: The right side of the panel features a striking, multi-layered fabric and paper flower. It bursts from a pair of dark green, textured leaves. The petals graduate from large, soft lavender-gray outer layers to smaller, vivid cerulean and teal inner layers.
• The Golden Core: At the very center of the blossom sits a bright yellow and magenta core. It mirrors the look of a real flower's pollen center while adding a sudden punch of warm color.
• The Textural Background: The underlying canvas is constructed from varying shades of green, wash-painted papers. Splashes of oceanic blue-green peak out near the top right and bottom left edges, evoking a natural landscape or garden setting.

The "Visual Poetry" Elements

• The Ransom-Style Name: On the left side of the panel, the maker's name—CATHY ZIGROSSI—is spelled out using individual letter cutouts. The typography alternates between stark black blocks with white lettering and delicate typewriter fonts. The letters cascade downward and diagonally, transforming a standard signature into a dynamic graphic element.
• The Red "LIFE" Anchor: In the bottom right corner sits a small, red rectangular cutout featuring the word LIFE in bold, white sans-serif text. This element directly mirrors the iconic logo of Life magazine. It anchors the piece's title, My Life, into the physical composition while acting as a bold, color-contrasting weight against the green background.

Conceptual Alignment

The piece perfectly bridges personal identity with the exhibition's themes. The choice of a flower suggests themes of growth, blooming, and personal history. Meanwhile, breaking down the typography of her own name turns her personal identity into literal "visual poetry." The mix of soft fabric textures, raw torn paper edges, and rigid typographic blocks creates an inviting, tactile diary entry of a moment captured at the Dallas workshop.

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