Artist Statement
For the past eighteen years, I have worked with newspaper as my main medium, creating both two and three-dimensional works with this material. My fascination with newspaper consists not only of its being “the diary of our lives,” it also presents me with a black/white/and limited color palette, which has always been my choice. My work is most often based on a oversized image of an observation of daily life, which can be seen as an abstraction as well as a representational image, where surface, subject matter, color and content all convey tension between opposites.
Holding a profound respect for this material, I have never regarded it as “recycled” or “trash". Even the yellowing aspect of newsprint has been an important factor in my work, and I often encourage this process of yellowing before my work leaves my studio.
Newsprint is normally known as a fragile material, but through my manipulation of the paper, which is rolled tightly into tubes and later sealed by varnish, it is transformed into a very strong and solid material. Yet I tend to see it as being fluid, since I construct each piece in the same free manner, much as a painter might use his brush.
I find the informative aspect of newspaper quite important. Since each piece I create holds all the world/local news of that particular time frame, it becomes an historic piece within itself. All artists date their oeuvre with great importance, reflecting their moment in time. My works not only hold a date, they also represent an historic documentation of our lives. This information may not be of importance to the viewer, but for me each piece becomes a diary.
Holding a profound respect for this material, I have never regarded it as “recycled” or “trash". Even the yellowing aspect of newsprint has been an important factor in my work, and I often encourage this process of yellowing before my work leaves my studio.
Newsprint is normally known as a fragile material, but through my manipulation of the paper, which is rolled tightly into tubes and later sealed by varnish, it is transformed into a very strong and solid material. Yet I tend to see it as being fluid, since I construct each piece in the same free manner, much as a painter might use his brush.
I find the informative aspect of newspaper quite important. Since each piece I create holds all the world/local news of that particular time frame, it becomes an historic piece within itself. All artists date their oeuvre with great importance, reflecting their moment in time. My works not only hold a date, they also represent an historic documentation of our lives. This information may not be of importance to the viewer, but for me each piece becomes a diary.
