Paper and Gypsum Plaster

12 feet x 20 feet

 

The rectangular platform is comprised of two thousand handmade paper bricks. The bricks have been formed from paper pulp with water and gypsum plaster as binding agents. To form the pulp, ribbons of paper were dissolved in water. Then, the blend of macerated wood fibers were strained through a screen. Once strained, the mat of randomly interwoven fibers were gathered, mixed with gypsum and pressed into molds. When they are completely dry, the bricks weight 4 ounces. The work takes shape according to the paper pulp's own powers of dispersion and coalescence.

 

Dappled peaks wind through the topography of the bricks. Soft impressions of fingerprints form subtle, occasional valleys. Light collects in the nooks and crannies of the surface, creating shadows and pushing towards luminosity.

 

In whole, the bricks bear the weight of the processes involved in their making. These processes involve deep concentration through repetition, invoking a residual sense of strength and support in lieu of embellishment.