Book Arts Statement

I’m a hand papermaker, specializing in unconventional and sculptural books.  My work is generally autobiographical. More specifically, I explore family stories and investigate issues of identity. For example, when I was a little girl, my father told me that eating tomatoes would make me “big, strong and hairy chested.” I believed him and avoided eating tomatoes for twenty years. Like my childhood association between the consumption of tomatoes and the growth of chest hair, I sometimes find body-stories and family dynamics to be simultaneously comical and unsettling. It is often these extremes in emotional reactions that drive me to produce the work, in an attempt to better comprehend each situation.

Although my work may seem like an exercise in self-indulgence, I’d counter that notion by suggesting that my work addresses fundamental human experiences (like shame, fear, love, loss and hope) and reaches others on a highly emotive level. Upon exhibiting my work, I often provide extended copy. When people read my concise ruminations about the inspiration behind the work or the odd-ball materials I employ (like human hair, ashes of the departed or oncology reports), they confess that they’ve had similar experiences. I’ve seen visitors to my exhibitions moved to laughter and tears.

I’m an advocate of old-world techniques and media. Handmade paper is at the core of every work. I use a Hollander beater to process most of my fibers (such as cotton linter, the clothing of loved ones, or natural fibers harvested around Minnesota) but will beat Asian fibers by hand. I size my paper using a 14^th century Italian technique with hot gelatin, which I embellish with colorants. I sometimes make my own inks with natural media, such as berries, nuts, spices and soot. I employ several sewn and glued binding techniques, but my favorite is a Coptic stitch which is often executed with four to eight curved needles. Needless to say, my work is incredibly time-consuming but also meditative.

Whatever the inspiration, my work begins with handmade paper and ends with a carefully crafted and unique object that I hope will be cherished by others for generations.

Paper Garment Statement

When I was a little girl, a family member told me that eating tomatoes would make me “big, strong and hairy chested.” I avoided eating tomatoes for twenty years.

As a general rule, my sculptural work is inspired by childhood myths or adult anxieties regarding my body. Like my childhood association between the consumption of tomatoes and the growth of chest hair, I sometimes find body-stories or body-experiences to be simultaneously comical and horrifying. It is often these extremes in emotional reactions that drive me to produce the work, in an attempt to better comprehend each situation.

Recently, the parameter of my work has expanded to include the well being of loved ones. Coping with familial illness and motherhood has altered my outlook on the world and my responsibilities in life.

I use clothing as subject matter because it provides me a ground on which to investigate identity and corporeality. My garments are metaphors. They can encompass narrative qualities, illustrate and dissolve bodily fears, or act as talismanic devices.

In addition to utilizing handmade paper, I often incorporate non-archival media into my work. I derive great joy from transforming everyday materials into something personal, meaningful and beautiful. When I see tomato paste, dog hair, sausage casings, spent tea bags or dried fish skins, I envision a work that may be transitory in nature, but rich in surfaces.