My work is nostalgic, using pages from children’s books to bring characters and beings from these great stories into a three dimensional, tangible form. In the contemporary world where immediate gratification is prized above all else, reading, and books especially, are becoming something of the past. Using the commanding visual imagery of my sculptural work, combined with sensual and audible elements, I want to make people stop and think about the last book they read and the last fairytale they can recall. For me, disappearing between the pages of a book and delving into a world of intrigue and the unknown has made me the artist I am today.
While the substructure of my sculptures varies depending on shape and size, the material the viewer sees is always the same. Children’s books with black ink illustrations lend the figures a sense of subtlety in counterpoint to the scale and details of the works. Paper is delicate and ethereal, and allows for a variety of textures and surface treatments that help bring the sculpture to life. There is an impressive range of paper types to be found bound in books, and each comes with its own advantages and problems, but it simply allows for more experimentation and control in the end product.
Storytelling has been a vital part of humanity, used as a way to entertain as well as a method of education. Over the years, the delivery of mankind’s stories has changed, from oral traditions, to the written word, and visual imagery. With my work, I wish to inspire the viewer to look back on the great stories of old, both from their own history and others, and realize how important storytelling is.