Paper, fiber and string

Abstract

My current work is the result of a long term interest in paper; first as surface, next as image and, finally, as medium itself. Paper pulp provides me with a plastic, expressive and sensuous medium. I am especially attracted to the way pulp looks and feels and to the way it can be manipulated. The work in the exhibition is a type of papermaking in which the mold remains a part of the piece. I pour the pulp over a string and rope "net" until sufficient pulp is captured and adheres to it. The open/closed relationships within the net vary according to the amount of pulp I allow the net to retain. Each net sheet is planned for a certain position within the layered stack with more open webs in front and more closed in the back. The very same cellulose fibers that are uniformly interwoven in traditional papermaking to produce a smooth, fine quality sheet of handmade paper, appear in my work to cling precariously in an uneven and Irregular pattern. However, the textural variety in the natural state of the pulp is an important consideration to me, and it is my intention to intuitively exploit it's inherent character.