Artist Statement
My work is heavily inspired by nature, the rich textures and colours that are found on my regular walking route with my four-legged, and sometimes, two legged companions.For this exhibition I was drawn to the idea of the resources we take from nature, the sights, sounds colours and the products we use from nature in our everyday life. I am keen to use and recycle items that some may disregard- I often use and re-cycle old fabrics, scraps, paper etc. for collage work that become part of my work, as well as the collected items from my walks- that become the by-product of decay of natural forms.
I loved the idea of using packaging as a resource to make something- cardboard packaging became my favourite choice, as it can be recycled and is, itself a product of nature- albeit processed via the industrial methods first. I also liked the idea of the ‘unfolded box’ to showcase my designs and ideas to display the landscape that I observe, and the different levels of detail and utilising the format of the unfolded box to aid placement of the scene, textures and forms.
I was inspired to make collagraph plates as I felt it was a great tool to facilitate a way of working that encompasses using found and natural medias that can be exploited and played with in my work to recreate the scenery and textures that I see in my walks and that I love to explore.
What is a collograph print?
‘Collagraph’ (sometimes ‘collograph’) is derived from the Greek ‘colla’, meaning glue, and ‘graph,’ meaning to draw. A collograph is essentially a collage of materials of various textures glued on to a printing plate, often a thin wood or cardboard.
https://www.forar tssake.com/online-gallery/medium/collagraph/
