PAPER 2017 - PRESENT

Making an archive of disappeared objects that evoke stories from the past is like trying to hold on to clouds. Just out of reach, the passing of time mists the memories and harnessing them is becoming more demanding. A collection of drawings creates a portrait of a lost place that resonates through a universal familiarity. Fleetingly the past revisits.

This project began in 2017 and is ongoing. A collection of embossed works is growing which depicts domestic objects from a lost family home which are heavy with embodied memory.

In an effort to reduce the amount of new objects produced, later works are made using recycled material and the pulp is often re-used many times.

“I’ve really enjoyed getting to know this material and finding accessible ways of producing it that can involve people in making similar works at home. I love the idea that the material can have hidden secrets, perhaps the paper is significant in some way – a collection of love letters, or children’s drawings, bills or voting cards. I’m always aiming for a fragility in these works even though the paper is actually very robust. The holes and creases in the paper imply that it has been around a long time.”

Photography: Phil Crow and Nadya Monfrinoli