Tuesday, December 4, 2012

succulent from timeless fiber 2011


I was reviewing/revising my artist statement for the upcoming TIMELESS FIBER 2012 exhibition and ran across my statement from last year.  Since I didn't post about it then, here it is.  


SUCCULENT
       
         I am intrigued by the way light falls on a surface creating highlights and shadow.  My earliest artwork using handmade paper explored textured papers and their edges; investigating the way light and shadow identifies the raised, indented and wrinkled surface.  Twenty plus years later, I am still creating complex surfaces, which reflect light, in rich variations of tone and value.
        When challenged to create work for an invitational exhibition titled, “Xtreme Baskets,” I recognized a subtle shift in my thinking -- from “sculptural basketry” to “sculptural forms with openings”.  This change in approach opened new opportunities, as the forms were no longer “required” to have an opening at the top or to stand up straight. 
        SUCCULENT is a result of this less restrained attitude.  Conceived as a spiral rather than a sphere, the armature began with wire and reed was used to add volume, instead of beginning as a woven reed form.  Heavily textured handmade paper of black denim spans the structure enclosing space.  Many layers of paint embellish the surface.  A second sculptural form of randomly woven reed nests within, acknowledging the intermutual relationships in our lives.


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