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Drawing Breath: Blown ink and cut paper drawings
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For most of us, before learning to read or write, drawing is our first
language. For me, it is my most fluent expression, and for well over a
decade, it has been the singular focus of my work. By using familiar materials
like paper, ink, and graphite in unconventional ways, expanding the definition
of drawing, my goal is to contribute to the growing vocabulary of this
fundamental visual language, while strengthening the appreciation of drawing
as a significant artistic discipline in its own right.
There
is a formidable connection and meaning I derive from working with many
of the same materials that have been essential to our most ancient civilized
societies. The handmade paper I use comes primarily from Nepal and Japan.
The Nepalese paper is made from plants that regenerate quickly, providing
a renewable resource for the artisans whose livelihoods depend on a fragile
ecosystem. Purchasing such paper returns proceeds to the cooperatives
that make it, directly supporting workers in rural and urban areas of
Nepal. In Japan, as the time-honored traditions of papermaking wane dramatically,
some master paper-makers are now being recognized as National Cultural
Treasures. In addition to viewing my work as an unspoken collaboration
with these distant paper-makers, I feel strongly that use of these special
materials positively supports culture, commerce, and environmental responsibility.
For this new series Drawing Breath, ink is blown with a tube, and
the paper itself is integral. Several sheets may be cut and layered in
a single work to create depth, shadows, translucencies, and nuances of
color. The idea of drawing with the paper instead of just upon it is characteristic
of my approach to my materials.
In a sense, I breathe life into these drawings, using my lungs to propel
the ink. But as much as they reflect my insides, implying arterial systems
and biological forms, they also elicit a broader, innate recognition of
the natural worldplants and creatures, coastlines and rivers. Growth
and decay, beauty and brutality are the rudiments of this language.
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above Murmur,
36-1/4 "h x 25-1/8"w,
Ink and cut handmade paper
We're only one element in the vast system of nature. My work is abstract,
but nature is always at its core. Internally and externally, a marked
similarity of lines and forms can be found, divulging our connectedness
with nature, and shared fragility.
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