colour shift

2017

My practice is primarily sculptural and concerned with materiality and the trace of the gesture of the hand. Watercolour may not normally be a sculptural material but my interest lies in disrupting how materials are supposed to be used to create unexpected outcomes.

For this particular work, I created watercolours using a variety of colour palettes to create six visually distinct works. Each watercolour was sliced into one centimetre strips which were then hand twisted together to create a paper rope. The six works evolved from a flat two-dimensional painted surface into one three-dimensional cord of undulating colour. The trace of the gesture of the hand is visible in the arduous task of twisting the thick paper into a long rope. One might think of the time involved in this process, the dexterity required, and the trace of the gesture leaving its mark upon paint-stained fingers.

The trace leaves its mark on the paper and paint as well. New surfaces are revealed within the tiny rips, cracks, and creases as the twisting exposes loose fibres. The watercolour plays an enticing game of hide-and- seek, popping out and then disappearing again. The action of the hand altered the dried watercolour pigments lending them a new dimension and a roughed-up, slightly sandpapered appearance.

The final work is 12.8 metres in length when stretched out and in this configuration, it is possible to discern where each painting begins and ends.

watercolour, 300gsm Hahnemühle watercolour paper.