Paper-
sculpture
drawing
After nearly 6 years of good health, Winter 2011 my chronic fatigue came back. By Spring I managed to return to life, and grad school, but I only had three weeks to do three months of work.
I built this paper sculpture in an empty 4th floor lunchroom in Concordia’s Visual Arts building. I saturated every surface with so much graphite that most days I looked like a coal miner. The piece was suspended from the ceiling on rubber ribbons, and it was light enough that it moved when breezes blew in through the window.
I was unable to find a place to exhibit it. I kept two of the sections and re-worked them into a different piece years later, but no one ever saw this version.
Making
The above sketch shows my basic working methodology across all media: a careful plan, drawing out patterns for each section of the sculptural drawing; followed by a careful budget, roughly calculating costs of pencils, graphite powder, rolls of watercolour paper, rubber and hardware… And then ignoring the entire thing and making it up as I go.
Rejected plans are always helpful. I will be following some vague, impressionistic mental map.
…my technical disasters are a direct result of this tendency. BUT, over the years I’ve also realized that forcing myself to stay focused on the original plan leads to mind-numbingly boring works I have no interest in exhibiting or pursuing.
I’m learning slowly, that though I’m enthralled by electronics and curious about digital media, I have no interest in replicating certain modes of production.
