It started with a copy of A Canvas to Cover by Edward Seago: the faint linen jacket, brown edges, stains and mould. And that smell of old book with paper that felt like skin to the touch. My immediate reaction was to paint on it! Since then, I’ve been utterly absorbed with painting on found paper.
Books are carefully sourced and selected. I’m led by the jackets, the quality of the paper and how titles can suggest a composition. The process involves cracking spines, bending, tearing, then carefully exposing joints, linings and paper layers – seeking for the material’s soul. My mark making has become unhurried, subtle and less invasive – rather introspective, a response to the surface I am about to paint on. More than ever, my work reflects on the passing of time, exploring the vulnerability of the materials and the ephemeral changes they carry. Impermanence is often a threat, but a must too.
There is an unfolding narrative, with these books. There is still a story to be told, one can either drift into their nostalgia or start a new chapter.
Wuthering Heights, 1957 No Sleeve Edition, Condition Fair
35 x 30cm, mixed media on found paper
£290
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