Exploration

Melissa Dickenson []

2007.06.07 - 2007.06.15

Exploration is a series of work made on Awa-Washi (Japanese hand made paper). It is an investigation in creating unique surfaces on which to paint. In these pieces I use the fibers of Kozo root present in the Washi as the outlines for imaginary landscapes. I have "drawn out" the fibers and imperfections in the paper with paint and suture to make more visible the imaginary worlds in which images of flora and fauna exist. The animal and plant life in combination with natural materials used to make the Washi is meant to be a dialogue about reality. The vivid colors used in the creatures are not truly found in nature; the organic forms, which make up the landscapes, are also abstract and ask the viewer to imagine surreal environments. Many of the animalia are in placed out of a "normal" context, which allots for disorder in the laws of nature. Because the works were made by hand from start to finish using a traditional technique, it is meant to evoke a very real sense of being. Paper, in both its making and existence, is a very hand on process and produces a tangible object. By presenting imaginary landscapes on this material, I hope to contrast what is seen in the paper's physical surface with what is then seen in the painting.

Date	2007.06.07 - 2007.06.15
Place	STUDIO B