another papier mache vessel, 2011
a small object of survival..
upturned, after the storm...
washed up, weathered and worn...
art or craft, handled with care...
one lonely relic, rescued from the past......view more papier mache wabi sabi bowls here..
i'm in this
it's the reunion refresh... the 2011 gallery catalogue for the very lovely reunion gallery, who are celebrating their tenth year in the art business. i love the retro, mid-century modern typography on the catalogue's cover, the vibrant, lipstick red contrasting with that classic, powdery sky blue. allow me to pore over them for a while, elegantly scattered on the kitchen floor...
[reunion refresh gallery catalogue]and then allow me (or them) to explain...The Reunion Gallery is changing the format of its exhibition programme for the coming 2011 season.The previous format of private views coinciding with specific exhibitions has been replaced with an evolving programme of events throughout the year which will highlight the work of ten participating artists.Instead of staging a number of individual exhibitions we have formed a showcase of the work of artists who have contributed to our progress during the past ten years.The Reunion Gallery & Studio is at the heart of Felixstowe's artists' quarter, just two minutes walk from the main shopping street, at the junction of Gainsborough Road and Constable Road.Resident artists Pat Todd & Verena Daniels are foremost exponents of ceramic and glassware innovation respectively. Visitors to the Reunion Gallery are welcome to visit their adjoining studio to discuss work in progress. Both are members of the prestigious Suffolk Craft Society and have exhibited widely in the UK and Europe. (text abbreviated from the gallery catalogue)the artists featuring in this continually evolving & changing showcase exhibition programme, aside from my good self, jazz green, are: verena daniels & pat todd (resident studio artists), pippa darbyshire, richard kimmerling, alison malcolm, colin slee, ivan quarton, honor surie and wendy brooke smith.
the reunion refresh anniversary exhibition formally opened today and the special exhibition programme continues until late october 2011. the reunion gallery is open tuesday to saturday, 10am - 5pm.aside from perhaps wishing to see some refreshing works of art by the above named artists at the reunion gallery (the displayed artworks will change or refresh throughout the year) here are two other good reasons to visit felixstowe ...landguard fort - now a site of historic interest, the fort was first built to protect the main sea harbour from invaders, as early as 1543, but it has changed much in its design & structure over the centuries. in the twentieth century the fort was used as a military barracks and it even housed a top secret control centre during the ‘cold war’ era. it then fell into a period of disuse and was much neglected until the 1990's when it formally came under the care of english heritage.the port of felixstowe - this port is reputed to be the largest and busiest container port in the whole of the UK... most interesting if you like watching big sea freight containers & ocean ships moving to and fro - much of what we import or export, our trading with other nations, is due to the logistic efficiency of the now ubiquitous cargo container......and here are two more of my wabi sabi bowls because...
i thought they'd complement the cool blue & white theme to this post...
...psst... in late may/june i will be exhibiting with five other abstract painters, a group exhibition currently as yet 'untitled'......
you might like
this... it's a very small papier mache bowl, the first one of a few that i have have been making. this paper bowl has a green-blue-grey stone-like patina with a tarnished gold interior...
this paper bowl has been inspired by my interest in primitive & prehistoric art, raku ceramics & the Japanese aesthetic of Wabi Sabi - the beauty inherent in things that are unostentatious, simple, irregular, used or worn in appearance. finding birds' nests in the garden probably had some influence in the process. birds will make their nests out of whatever is to hand - often the harmful plastics and manmade fibres littering the environment - a sign of the times. making homemade bread and soup had some relevance too. there is something so very comforting and nurturing about a simple cup shape...
here, you can see the detail of the eroded edge of the vessel. this bowl is one of a very limited series of papier mache vessels that I have been making in the studio - it is signed and dated on the base. the distinctive patina on this bowl has been created using thin washes or glazes of water-based acrylic paint, which have been lightly 'distressed' to create a naturally, time-worn, aged surface - with the appearance of an ancient relic or artefact.i suppose if one wanted to be ethically 'green' i would source and make my own pigments, but here i have used very small amounts of acrylic and it has the added benefit of being water resistant when dry... sometimes the wild harvesting of nature's resources is more damaging to the environment than controlled, sustainable production (as seen in herbal medicine)... i am happy that i am reusing what i already have, rather than buying even more art materials...
this paper bowl is about the size of a small teacup and it fits snugly in the hand - the actual height is 4cm or 1.5” approx, diameter 9cm or 3.5” approx. i previously made some plaster casts of some of my most favourite things such an art deco teacup which became the primary mould for this particular bowl. during the drying stage the bowls warp ever so slightly, becoming more tactile and organic in character... i would like to give these an identity such as the amity bowl or verity vessel (meaning friendship and truth respectively)... the most interesting part of the process is because i have already created the 'object' the painting stage becomes quite intuitive...
papier-mâché is uniquely lightweight and yet surprisingly resilient as a material, made to my own special recipe of handmade paper pulp - mostly offcuts or trimmings of linen or cotton, both rag and paper, combined with recycled scraps of cellulose-based paper such as tissue, cartridge or copier paper. i also add a small amount of powdered chalk, marble or eggshells for additional strength & durability. the small amount of handmade paper that i can make mean that these very vessels are limited in their number. you can see an example of some of my handmade deckled paper here...
i have been working on making them in a range of sizes along with the possibility of creating other 3d forms, which is all mildly exciting stuff for a regular painter - watch this space over the coming weeks and months...you can see a selection of my papier mache bowls here...alongside the paper-making & moulding i have also created a new series of collagraph plates also using recycled materials, but i won't be printing those for a while yet......all photography © 2011 jazz green - please do not use, reuse or otherwise publish images of my artwork without my consent or permission, thank you......not quite what you were looking for in the paper art department? why not try wikipedia instead......