I first begin working with paper as a medium in architecture school while attending Rhode Island School of Design. Inherently fragile in nature, it could be torn or cut, folded or creased, layered and twisted, and ultimately magically transformed to represent a concept. But I soon discovered that what was once used for representation of a final three-dimensional idea had become a vehicle for social change. Architects were discovering ways to make paper structural and build with it.
I began experimenting with forms of my own and developed a kit of parts using paper for my thesis. Folded and glued elements could be connected, and depending on the shape they took, made structural.
My love of paper has continued and branched into different outlets. Its tactile quality, its physicality, provide limitless opportunities for new and intuitive creations. As a medium, it is so readily accessible and so inexpensive.
But, its accessibility and low-cost means it is also often and easily discarded. As such, I feel especially passionate about recycling paper when I can, even if my impact is rather small. My collages incorporate recycled paper from magazines. I love the challenge of transforming the printed image into a new image while preserving bits and pieces of the memory of the paper’s former representation. My works are artistic expressions of a moment in time recreated through photorealism.
I welcome any donations of used magazines!
My works are made entirely of recycled paper and adhesive. No other medium is added. As such, the works are intensive searches through magazines for the right value, intensity, and meaning to recreate an image.