Transformations into the Botanical Conversation

Masters of Fine Arts Research & Exhibition by Tony Joseph Carlone Table of Contents

Introduction ...... 3

First Form of Study: Seed Bomb as Natural Farming ...... 3

Second Form of Study: Material Exploration ...... 5

Third Form of Study: Natural Dye ...... 7

Fourth Form of Study: as a Sculptural Medium ...... 8

Exhibition Description ...... 12

Closing Thoughts ...... 13

Works Cited ...... 14

Materials List ...... 16

Show Card ...... 17

Exhibition Images ...... 18

Artist Statement ...... 34

2 “As papermakers, we need to be plant people as well as people. Just as we propose the necessity of printers and book makers to understand paper, we papermakers need to know plants well, not just how to harvest and process them, but what impact our harvesting has on the plant and on the environment. Do the materials speak to the content of the work?” - Mary Tasillo

Introduction

As a hand papermaker and printmaker, I see my work as a hybrid between the two processes. I am interested in creating local-plant based art by using the natural environment as a source of inspiration, raw material, and the beginnings of a social conversation. The works I make uses forms that echo themselves in the natural world and attempt to explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. Through four forms of study I explore the use of the seed bomb as a method of natural farming, material exploration of raw fibers, natural dyes derived from plant material, and the use of pulp as a sculptural medium.

First Form of Study: Seed Bomb as Natural Farming

“Nature does not change, although the way of viewing nature invariably changes from age to age. No matter the age, natural farming exists forever as the wellspring of agriculture.” - Masanobu Fukuoka

It was during a presentation from the Hudson Valley Seed Library that I was first introduced to the seed ball, also known as a seed bomb, a small object that packs seeds together within a growing medium. Designed to be directly sowed, seed bombs are an easy and sustainable way to cultivate plants into neglected lots, inaccesible areas, or even your own flowerbeds. Having my interest peaked, and working with handmade paper at the time, I began embedding seeds in my work, resulting in a first crop of pulp cast seed bombs containing seeds for marigold, scarlet flax, teddy bear sunflower, hollyhock, watermelon radish, and basil. Having a strong desire to see the transformation from seed

3 to sheet, I began to investigate what kind of paper was hidden inside these plants as well as those that flourished around me in the natural environment. Having the time and space to grow a majority of the fibers used, I began by sowing the seed bombs on top of the soil in my garden beds. The soil was left untilled, without the use of fertilizers, compost or chemicals, and only minimal weed suppression. Without even knowing I was practicing natural farming, an ecological farming approach to cooperate with nature rather than trying to “improve” upon nature by conquest. This agricultural philosophy was established over forty years ago by Japanese farmer and philosopher Masanobu Fukuoka who is also responsible for rediscovering the technique for creating seed balls. Natural farming, based on the recognition of the complexity of living organisms that shape an ecosystem and deliberately exploiting it, consists of four principles: (1) no human cultivation, that is no plowing or turning of the soil, (2) no chemical fertilizer or prepared compost, (3) no weeding by tillage or herbicides, weeds should be controlled, no eliminated and (4) no dependence on chemicals that is nature, left alone, is in perfect balance (Fukuoka, 33-46). Following these basic principles I began growing various plants from seed and bulb while transplanting others into the ground acquired from a local nursery such as; blue flax, daylily, cordyline, corn, dracaena, milkweed, gladiolus, reed feather grass, hosta, hydrangea, sunflower, iris, porcupine grass, strawberries and cream ribbon grass, and yucca. For my thesis exhibition, three hundred Pulp Cast Seed Bombs were placed in Offering Bowl, with the viewer able to take-away one with my hopes they would decide to plant theirs. This second crop of seed bombs was made with cotton pulp and contained the seeds of such plants as marigold, milkweed, scarlet flax, sunflower, cornflower, love- in-a-mist, poppy, jaccob’s ladder, hollyhock, english lavender, russian sage, lunaria, and cosmos. Attached to each Pulp Cast Seed Bomb was also a set of printed directions: “Throw your seed bomb into any vacant lot, or garden bed. So long as it gets some sunlight and water, it can make the land beautiful and useful again; restore plant and wildlife populations; nourish and feed the soil, people and animals; bring communities together, and educate.”

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Second Form of Study: Material Exploration

“The artist does not make paper but, instead helps it materialize from the vat’s cool, clean water...swirling and cloud-like creating a fresh, wet, fragile skin...invisible, vulnerable...transformed...tough yet delicate...dead yet very much alive as paper. At these moments in , the activity is so all consuming that occurs.” - C.E. Licka

There is nothing new about the use of plant fibers for papermaking as there is no definitive way to do anything in papermaking. The use of plant fibers for contemporary art with paper is in keeping with long-standing traditions and is appropriate for current hand papermaking methods. While plant fibers may not be of interest to all papermakers because of time-consuming preparations and small yields, they do offer interesting additions and alternatives to those who desire an expanded pulp palette. There is a tremendous range of plants available and the variety of that can be made from their fibers so the artist, by choice of fiber and its pulping treatment, has great control and flexibility with the resulting papers that comprise the final aesthetic work (Bell, 34). Sources for raw plant material are quite plentiful and can be sustainably harvested from; home garden plants, weeds, food crops, wild shrubs and trees, prunings, roadsides, vacant lots, building sites, farms, industrial sites, and along railroad tracks. After the plant material has been obtained and the fiber type has been established, experiments can be done with the various separation, cooking, beating, and sheet formation methods to see which are best suited to the fiber and indeed the fiber ideal for the artist’s papermaking purpose (Bell, 15). For this body of work I have restricted my research to seed fibers, bast fibers, leaf fibers and grass fibers My artistic practice utilizes local fibers from my gardens, agricultural waste, foraged and invasive species of upstate New York to create the pulps and handmade papers that I used. The foraged and invasive species harvested include; cattail, milkweed, pampas grass, Japanese knotweed, spear thistle, and yellow iris. While plant

5 fibers have unique properties like luster, transparency and great strength, the most important thing to remember is that everything is variable. The season harvested affects the fiber length and paper color. The soil in which the plant grows affects the plant’s growth, which in turn affects the fiber quality (Bell, 16). The portion of a plant used is the fiber. While all plants contain cellulose, some contain a higher percentage than others. In order to be made suitable for papermaking, the cellulose portion of the plant must first be separated from substances that are non-cellulose. After the fibers have been separated by retting, steaming, stripping, or decortication, they were soaked in water twenty-four hours prior to cooking All fibers underwent a cooking process prior to being beaten into pulp. Cooking frees and purifies by eliminating appreciable amounts of , impure matter, and other non-cellulose substances. In order to avoid adding any trace minerals to the pulp, the damp fibers were packed into a stainless steel pot and covered with cold water. For each quart of water one tablespoon of soda ash, an alkali, was added to the pot. The pH of the alkaline solution needs to be between twelve and fourteen in order to eliminate the non-cellulose materials. The alkaline solution and fibers were slowly brought to a boil, and let to simmer for a minimum of two hours; some fibers requiring a longer cook. After cooking was completed, the fibers were rinsed thoroughly to remove all traces of alkali. It is at this stage the rinsed, damp fibers were ready to be dyed. In order for the cooked fiber to be made into a sheet of paper, it needed to undergo a beating process. If the fiber is beaten a short time, a thick blotter type of paper results. If the fiber is beaten for a moderate amount of time, a crisp paper results. If the fiber is beaten for a longer amount of time, a thin tracing-type paper is produced (Bell, 24). The beating methods used for my thesis body of work include; pounding mallets, blender and a . In order to create a stronger paper, the raw plant fiber pulps were combined with naturally dyed cotton or abaca, which is discussed further in the third form of study. For the pulp to be made into sheets of paper, a screen was needed. The western sheet and

6 modified Japanese sheet formation methods were used to make the handmade sheets of paper included in Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, Offering Bowl, and used to make the pulp castings used in Pendants I - VIII. After a post of wet papers was made, it was placed in a five ton hydraulic press; the sheets of paper were further dried in a stack dryer or used for casting processes.

Third Form of Study: Natural Dyeing

The coloring of pulp has been a source of confusion, mystery, and even despair for most hand papermakers on at least one occasion. The exploration of how and why it works is scientific. Dyes dissolve in water and permeate the fiber; they are held in place by chemical links. Although the bonds which form are extremely strong, it is important to note that dyes in general are less permanent and lightfast, prone to discoloration due to light exposure, than pigments (Lippman, 22). The dyeing process begins after the pulp had been prepared - cooked, rinsed, picked clean and beaten. Any residual chemicals in the pulp can affect the coloring process. First the cotton or abaca pulp was cooked in a tannin mordant bath for twenty to thirty minutes and rinsed. A mordant, or fixative, helps the dye adhere to the natural fibers, but it also tends to alter the color. As a general rule of thumb, the fiber is cooked in a mordant bath for the same amount of time as in the dye bath. Second, the dye was extracted by simmering plant material in water. To achieve saturated yet clear colors it was best to use a large quantity of dyestuff, but specific quantities vary depending on the particular plant material, its quality, and its freshness. Naturally soft or filtered water is best, iron and other minerals will affect the color considerably. After simmering for twenty to thirty minutes in a stainless steel pot the dye bath was complete. Third, the tannin treated pulp was cooked in the dye bath for twenty to thirty minutes, for best results I recommend letting the pulp sit over night before rinsing.

7 Deeper colors can be achieved by repeating this process over and over. To adjust the hue, the fiber can be overdyed with a different dye. In this way a wide range of colors can be attained. By varying the time in the dye bath, or overdyeing the pulp with a second color, an almost limitless range of shades are possible (Ginsberg, 32-36).

Fourth Form of Study: Pulp as a Sculptural Medium

Recently I have turned to sculptural paper art through the use of spraying, pouring and casting processes, a recent adventure in handmade paper. Paper artists are making three-dimensional work using all sorts of methods; casting and hand-molding paper pulp, mounting sheets on stiff armatures of natural and man-made materials, pouring pulp over three-dimensional structures, and incorporating paper with woven materials (Orgill, 2). One of the threads that runs through my work is light, expressed through the translucency of the fibers I work with; the creating of lamp, lantern, and other sculptural forms that are enhanced by illumination. An influence of my work is papermaker June Tyler. She works with natural forms and forces. From natural movement to eroded human constructions, her work focuses on relationships built by forms and the spaces around them. She frequently brings paper into the three-dimensional space often in the form of sculptural paper lamps and shoji screens. Her work has a very refined palette, often working with the natural color of her pulps and plant material inclusions. While my work relates to forms that echo themselves in the natural world, I find that I remove any direct connections to natural environment. Helen Hiebert, another papermaker, has created several installations with a focus on viewer involvement. Her contemporary view of interactive art gave me insight into the formal considerations of having my work serve as an invitation for viewer involvement such as having several Pendants suspended from the gallery ceiling at a height where the viewer could look inside, or having dried pulp specimens, with labels attached, and copies of Transformations into the Botanical Conversation that the

8 viewer could pick up and examine placed upon the Pulp Cast Table while also being able to sit down on the Pulp Cast Stools, a literal invitation to engage with the piece.

Fourth Form of Study: Pulp as a Sculptural Medium - Spraying

To create Fiber Panels I - XII, soaked willow branches were woven together and attached to a wooden frame with thin fabric stretched over it. The willow panel is allowed to set overnight and dry, making it sturdier. The stretched fabric serves as a screen for the sprayed layers of pulp to set upon. In deciding which fibers to use for pulp spraying, I settled on adding Japanese fibers, or kozo, to the pulp slurry. These fibers must be sufficiently wet so as not to build up clumps in the bottom of the hopper. Methylcellulose, normally used to disperse pulp so that it is suspended evenly in water, facilitates flow through the sprayer and permits the use of longer fibers as well acts as a binding agent. However, large amounts of methylcellulose and water can complicate the layering process by increasing the number of applications needed, since the pulp is so thin and diluted. It also increases the likelihood of pulp slides (Schutler, 31). A pattern pistol is used to pulp spray and was a response to a need to produce irregular structures with paper pulp. I found this approach an effective process, provided enough layers were applied to make the final sheet strong enough to withstand stress. It is, so far, the best method I have found of obtaining a regularly formed large sheet. The pistol piston consists of a gun-type pneumatic sprayer with a one-and-a-half gallon plastic hopper. It has adjustable orifices, a wing-nut stop to set the flow rate on the trigger, and a notch to set the trigger for continuous flow. The sprayer needs a one-and- a-half to two horsepower (minimum) air compressor to operate. The compressor must be able to maintain a minimum of seventy psi for smooth operation (Schutler, 30). The sprayer’s effect is not unlike that of an airbrush with a gross pattern. That is, the range of coverage in each pass is about eight inches at the narrowest and about eighteen to twenty-four inches at the widest. The pulp is sprayed through a circular

9 orifice, which makes exact color placement difficult, but gradual building up and overlapping of color is possible (Rowley, 8). The pistol does not produce lines but diffuses bands of pulp. Different colored pulps can be fed into the hopper, and pulps can be mixed in process to produce blends (Rowley, 10). For strong sheets I recommend that thin layers be layed down and built up to a minimum of four to six layers, more depending on the size. While more transparent sheets are possible with fewer coats, the sheets are quite weak and tend to tear easily. Application of pulp to a vertical surface or form is much more tedious. Gravity is the enemy here, since applying even a little more pulp than needed can cause a major pulp slide. I allow each layer to evaporate and dry just enough so that the next layer will adhere and not wash away the previous one. I like to incorporate inclusions (flowers, fibers, dyestuff, etc.) between layers. Dried organic matter works much better than fresh, since living flower petals and leaves are amazingly water repellent. Fibers can strengthen a piece and inclusions can aid in deterring pulp slides on vertical pieces. If applied close to the surface layer, their detail can be seen beautifully, especially beneath a fine pulp. I have to be careful when spraying the layer on top of the inclusions since the compressed air can easily blow them away. I gently tap them into the pulp layers before spraying another. The sprayed pieces are then dried slowly and naturally, in the sun and with the air circulating. After the piece is ready, the sprayed armature with fabric attached is removed from the wooden frame and the fabric is peeled away slowly and carefully.

Fourth Form of Study: Pulp as a Sculptural Medium - Pouring

To create Sentinels I - VIII and the bases to Pendants I - VIII, I followed the same process mentioned in the previous section, except thin stretch fabric was slipped around the willow armature. Sturdy boxes were used to build up the shape for the Sentinels with the final outcome dependent on how tight the willow was woven, the elasticity of the

10 stretch fabric as well as the amount of willow used to reinforce its shape. To create the base of the Pendants, a bucket was used to overlap willow branches together, the top tied off, and willow entwined around the rim of the bucket, creating a circular base. Gampi pulp was poured from the inside of the armature in thin layers, allowing excess water to pass through the stretch fabric and also dry until the next layer can be poured. For stronger pieces I recommend that thin layers be layed down and built up to a minimum of three to four layers, more depending on the size. Once the piece was dry, the stretch fabric is cut and peeled off. If any repairs needed to be done, stretch fabric was slipped over the piece and any tears, or holes were corrected by adding more pulp.

Fourth Form of Study: Pulp as a Sculptural Medium - Casting

Traditional paper sheet forming is really a flat casting method. Casting is an activity made possible by the labor of moldmaking. Paper freshly couched without pressing, freshly couched and pressed, or dried and rewet sheets may be used. The best results in terms of clarity of surface detail, control in lamination and durability of the casting comes from the use of freshly formed and pressed sheets. Edges of fresh sheets blend together more easily to avoid visible seams. If the paper has been rewet it will be necessary to use methylcellulose between the moist layers to provide both adhesion and stiffness (Lutz, 16-18). Properly done, lamination casting gives light, thin strong castings with the potential for immaculately smooth dense and seamless surfaces. Lamination also allows great control over surface patterning and great variation of color, texture, translucency and opacity (Lutz, 20). This method is very simple but takes some practice and familiarly to achieve best results. The paper to be used is ripped into easily manageable pieces. Torn edges are important because they easily blend with each other to achieve a seamless quality. A layer of these pieces is firmly tamped onto the mold with a stiff bristle brush. Edges of pieces must be overlapped.

11 The number of layers depends in part on the thickness of the sheets being used. It is better to use thin to medium weight sheets and more layers rather than thick sheets and fewer. When lamination is complete, the casting may be left to dry. Slow drying, without application of fan or heat, is best because it avoids the warpage which frequently accompanies the uneven drying caused by excess heat or draft (Lutz, 23). To hold the three hundred Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, Offering Bowl was created by casting freshly formed and pressed sheets onto a latex spherical mold, which was chosen for its strength and elasticity. Layers were built up as torn sheets were cast onto the mold and adhered with methylcellulose. Once dried, the mold was pierced and removed, resulting in a lightweight yet strong cast piece that doesn’t fold in upon itself. Pulp Cast Table and Stools were created by casting freshly formed and pressed sheets onto handcrafted wooden furniture. Starting with the underside of the wood furniture, layers were built up until the entire piece was covered. Once dried, the cast pieces appear to be made entirely of paper, even giving off a sense of fragility and yet they are have a strength and weight to them due to the wood hidden beneath. It is my plan to relocate these pieces outside of the gallery setting, letting the seeds that are embedded to grow while the paper and wood biodegrades over time. With the Pendant bases already made, sheets of handmade paper were rewet, torn and collaged onto spherical polystyrene molds of various sizes. Once dry, these castings were collaged, with a mixture of methylcellulose and PVA, onto the Pendant bases resulting in bulbous structures reminiscent of beehives and bird nests. Even though my processes are very controlled, it is hard to predict the results I am always surprised to see the final product. The visual qualities of cast paper set up exciting contradictions. The paper appears heavy and solid but it is extremely lightweight and the surface has a soft glow (Williams, 9).

Exhibition Description

The final body of work comprised of thirty-five pieces. Several pieces were suspended

12 from the gallery walls and ceiling (Fiber Panels I - VI and Pendants I - VIII) while others were placed throughout the exhibition space (Fiber Panels VII - XII, Sentinels I - VIII, Offering Bowl with Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, and Pulp Cast Table and Stools, with copies of Transformations into the Botanical Conversation placed upon the table as well as a pedestal). A major consideration with the exhibition space was to create an openness to it. I wanted the space to breathe, allowing the viewer to walk through the installation, view the work from several perspectives as well as engage and interact with specific pieces that call for viewer involvement. Accompanying this thesis body of work is Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, a hand-bound reference book. An accumulation of the research and investigation conducted, it includes step-by-step directions on the process of harvesting and transforming raw plant fibers from pulp to sheet, information on natural dyes, as well as sixteen handmade paper samples with their respective recipes.

Closing Thoughts

“When you are taught, you learn what you are taught and that is it. You are satisfied with the results and have no need to explore further. When you learn by experimentation, you make mistakes and are forced to deal with them. You begin to understand not only what does not work, but you start to recognize that processes that do work.” - Gin Petty

My research led me to explore in depth the history of papermaking, the application of natural farming into my artistic process, the science of natural dyes, experimenting with raw plant material and the use of pulp as a sculptural medium. I am in a constant search for a form of expression, and handmade paper conveys my images and ideas better than any other media. By using forms that echo themselves in the natural world I explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. This body of work gives the viewer an opportunity to raise questions and create dialogue, just as how the research had begun.

13 Works Cited

Barrett, Timothy. “Aesthetics and the Future of the Craft.” Hand Papermaking 11 (Winter 1996): 13-17. Print.

Bell, Lilian A. Plant Fibers for Papermaking. McMinnville, Ore. (1970 S. Davis St., McMinnville 97128): Liliaceae, 1981. Print.

Dean, Jenny. Wild Color: The Complete Guide to Making and Using Natural Dyes. New York: Watson-Guptill, 2010. Print.

Duerr, Sasha. The Handbook of Natural Plant Dyes: Personalize Your Craft with Organic Colors from Acorns, Blackberries, Coffee, and Other Everyday Ingredients. Portland, Or.: Timber, 2010. Print.

Fukuoka, Masanobu. The One-straw Revolution: An Introduction to Natural Farming. Emmaus: Rodale, 1978. Print.

Ginsberg, Tatiana. “Somegami: Traditional Japanese Techniques for Making Naturally Dyed Papers.” Hand Papermaking 22 (Summer 2007): 32-36. Print.

Hiebert, Helen. The Papermaker’s Companion: The Ultimate Guide to Making and Using Handmade Paper. North Adams, MA.: Storey, 2000. Print.

Hiebert, Helen. Papermaking with Garden Plants & Common Weeds. North Adams, MA: Storey Pub., 2006. Print.

Horn, Greg. Living Green: A Practical Guide to Simple Sustainability. Topanga, CA: Freedom, 2006. Print.

Kester, Grant H. Conversation Pieces: Community and Communication in Modern Art. Berkeley: U of California, 2004. Print.

Kwon, Miwon. One Place after Another: Site-specific Art and Locational Identity. Cambridge, MA: MIT, 2002. Print.

Lamb, Elspeth. Papermaking for Printmakers. London: A. & C. Black, 2006. Print.

Lippman, Bobbie. “Question and Answer.” Hand Papermaking 8 (Summer 1993): 22. Print.

Lutz, Winifred. “Casting to Acknowledge the Nature of Paper.” Hand Papermaking 1 (Spring 1986): 16-23. Print.

Orgill, Roxanne. “Sculptural Paper.” Hand Papermaking 6 (Summer 1991): 2-3. Print.

14 Rowley, Kathleen. “Paper Processes for Large Sculpture.” Hand Papermaking 2 (Winter 1987): 6-10. Print.

Schutler, Joyce Ulting. “Sprayed Pulp as a Sculptural Medium.” Hand Papermaking 13 (Winter 1998): 30-35. Print.

Tasillo, Mary. “Guerrilla Weeding and the Practice of Slowing Down.” Hand Papermaking 25 (Summer 2010): 12-15. Print.

Williams, Jody. “Experiments in Paper Casting.” Hand Papermaking 4 (Summer 1989): 7-9. Print. Materials List

Fiber Panels I - XII, Willow branches, iris, corn, flax, yucca, cordyline, dracaena, daylily, milkweed, cattail, thistle, hosta, pampas grass, gampi, kozo, abaca, cotton linter, willow bark, turmeric dye, onion skin dye, yarrow leaves, madder root, madder root dye, oak bark dye, oak bark, annatto dye, yellow dock root, juniper berry dye, heather flowers, alkanet root, buckthorn bark, elderberry dye, comfrey dye, tansy dye, copper sulfate, iron sulfate, titanium dioxide, and hemp cord.

Sentinels I - VIII, Willow branches, gampi, willow bark, and hemp cord.

Pendants I - VIII, Willow branches, gampi, cattail, milkweed, kozo, thistle, cotton linter, abaca, daylily, japanese knotweed, hydrangea, sunflower, gladiolus, strawberries and cream ribbon grass, porcupine grass, feather reed grass, hosta, pampas grass, flax, annatto dye, oak bark dye, juniper berry dye, alkanet dye, cherry bark dye, blackberry dye, black walnut hull dye, tansy dye, comfrey dye, and hemp cord.

Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, Cotton linter, seeds, kozo, and inkjet.

Offering Bowl, Cotton linter, abaca, and willow bark.

Pulp Cast Table and Stools, Cotton linter, abaca, willow bark, seeds, pressed and flowers.

Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, Inkjet, handmade paper, linen thread and archival tape.

16 Transformations into the Botanical Conversation Master of Fine Arts Thesis Exhibition Tony Joseph Carlone

Exhibition Dates: December 4-8, 2015

Opening Reception: Friday, December 4, 2015 from 5-7pm

Gallery Hours: Friday - Tuesday, 11am to 5pm

Location: Samuel Dorsky Museum of Art, State University of New York at New Paltz, Alice and Horace Chandler & North Galleries, 1 Hawk Drive, New Paltz, New York 12561 Museum

tonycarlone.com

17 Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, exhibition view (center), 2015

Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, exhibition view (right), 2015

18 Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, exhibition view (left), 2015

Transformations into the Botanical Conversation, exhibition view (side), 2015

19 Fiber Panels II - V, Pendants I - VIII, Sentinels II - VIII, Offering Bowl, Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, and Transformations into the Botanical Conversation (book), 2015 20 Fiber Panels I - V and Pendants I - VI, 2015

Fiber Panels VII - XII and Sentinel I, 2015

21 Fiber Panels I - IV, Pendants I - III, Sentinels II - III, Offering Bowl, and Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, 2015

22 Pulp Cast Seed Bombs, 2015

23 Fiber Panels III - V, Pendants IV - VIII, and Sentinels IV - V, 2015

24 Sentinels VI - VIII, 2015

25 Transformations into the Botanical Conversation (book), and Pulp Samples, 2015

Transformations into the Botanical Conversation (book), and Pulp Samples, 2015

26 Pulp Cast Table and Stools, and Fiber Panel VI, 2015

27 Pulp Cast Table and Stools, and Fiber Panel VI, 2015

28 Pendant VII, and Fiber Panel VI, 2015

29 Pendant V, 2015

30 Pendant II, 2015

Fiber Panel VII (detail), 2015

31 Sentinel VI (detail), 2015

32 Fiber Panel V (detail), 2015

Sentinel V (detail), 2015

33 Artist Statement

As a hand papermaker and printmaker, I see my work as a hybrid between the two processes. Experimentation in the studio invigorates my artistic process. By using forms that echo themselves in the natural world I explore the symbiotic relationship between humans and their environment. My artistic practice is about using the land as a source of material, in a proper and sustainable manner.

I begin by collecting raw plant material and transform the gathered fibers into paper pulp, which is used to form irregular sheets, and sculptural pieces through the use of spraying, pouring and casting processes. The translucency of the fibers I work with allows for a play of light and is often enhanced by illumination.

The visual qualities of paper set up exciting contradictions, it can appear heavy and solid but it is extremely lightweight and the surface has a soft glow. Even though my processes are very controlled, it is hard to predict the results and I am always surprised to see the final product.

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