papermaking

Gallery 1855 is currently featuring two paper-based exhibitions by two Adelaide artists:

I heart paper by Ellen Schlobohm, is a ‘love letter’ from the artist to her chosen medium, reflecting on the true beauty of paper & Ink works by Cathy Gray, a collection of intricate pen and ink patterns on paper.

Both exhibitions demonstrate an intuitive approach to design and to the materiality of paper, but in very different ways. Cathy has focused on abstract black and white pattern designs, while Ellen’s approach to her intricate paper cuts is more relaxed and conceptual.

Image: Cathy Gray, Balance (detail), 2013, pen & ink on paper, 75 x 75cm.

Image: Ellen Schlobohm, Woven, 2016, hand-cut fabriano academia 200gsm, thread, approx. 23cm x 23cm.

More about the artists and their work:

Cathy Gray (in her own words)

My pen is my constant companion. It has enabled me to express myself freely over the various periods of my life.

So, with only pen and paper I begin with a dot. My work is rarely planned. I prefer to let each piece evolve and guide me. This approach gives me freedom from expectations. The majority of my work takes the form of a circle. For me the circle transcends time, cultural boundaries and evokes harmony and peace. It reflects wholeness and our interconnection to the world around us. In the beginning is the end and in the end is the beginning.

I draw exclusively in black and white. In all of the complexity of my art, restricting the colour palate to black and white brings with it certain stillness and simplicity. While a coloured palate enables you to glance at a picture and see the colours, black and white forces you to stop and look deeper into the piece; allowing you to see the story behind the art.

Image: Cathy Gray, Unspoken Word, 2015, ink on paper, limited edition print, 700 x 700mm.

Ellen Schlobohm (in her own words)

‘I heart paper’ is a love letter from a paper artist to the medium in which I work.
My skills have been tested as I’ve pushed the boundaries of practice to reveal the true beauty of paper. Several of my pieces include thread or other intricate 3D elements.

Other works acted as skill testers, challenging me to see just how small I can cut.
My work is created by meticulously cutting away paper by hand to leave behind delicate tableaus. I’m drawn to paper as a medium for its simplicity and strength. I also delight in watching this humble material come to life as I make each cut and the image is revealed.

I have expanded my arts practice to include other artistic avenues such as screen-printing, installation and mixed media works. This year I’ve taken part in several exhibitions and was a finalist in the Emma Hack Art Prize with my work The Eyes – a papercut photograph featuring my sister.

Ellen Schlobohm, Flourish (detail), 2016, hand cut Fabiano academia 200gsm, screen-printed Fabiano academia 200 gsm, 50 x 50cm.

Cathy and Ellen’s work is on display at Gallery 1855 from now until Friday 24 December.

Paper and multimedia artist Catherine Hewitt recently exhibited her work in Remnant Formations at Gallery 1855 during SALA Festival 2016.

Hewitt’s interest in geology and love of nature walks prompted her latest work, part of her ongoing investigation into how landscape formations are interpreted by tourists, collectors or purveyors.

Both natural and manmade materials are used for clash and harmony in her works, to depict ancient landscape formations. Soft and yielding materials like seagrass and cotton rag are used as a foil against grittier elements like copper, steel and rust.

What or who has made a great impression on you?

I have always had a keen interest in art since I was a child – my father in particular encouraged me to paint- he bought me some paints and took me with him when he was out painting (painting for him was a hobby). Whilst studying graphic design in Tasmania I also took courses in photography and printmaking and enjoyed being able to combine these related mediums. I’ve worked in freelance design and for a number of years had a stall at various markets in Tasmania. I moved to South Australia at the end of 2004 with my two children.

The following year I started working at the Hahndorf Academy where I met Regine Schwarzer with whom I am currently exhibiting. We both did the Masters by Coursework at UniSA at the same time and have exhibited together over the last few years.

Your current exhibition at Gallery 1855, Remnant Formations references mineral and rock formations. Is geology a personal area of interest of yours?

Yes! Actually, I would say that science in general is of interest to me – it often provides the grist for my mill! I like to walk and when I do, sometimes I find things of interest and I like to find out what these things are – where they fit in the ecosystem, what role do they play.

For example the group of handmade paper lanterns in the exhibition titled of a gorgeous nothing are a result of finding a seagrass ball (then hundreds more!) on Goolwa beach.

Likewise the embossing titled Lithos is my interpretation of limestone rock formed from marine particles. Once while walking on North Keppel Island, I found a small disc with a hole in the centre – then I found many more and many years later I found out what they were – Foraminifera.

Image: Lithos III (edition of 5), Photopolymer emboss Fabriano 285 gsm 67 x 54 cm

I do like rocks and the whole geological interconnected process – how mountains are formed, the different types of rocks, the layering, the colours, the erosion that results in beaches.

A few months ago Regine and I both went on a hiking trip to the Flinders Ranges. I had never been there. Walking through the various gorges and seeing all the striping in the rocks was wonderful. In fact, the oxides that I have used in some of the work come from there.

How did you begin this collection? Was there something in particular that triggered its development?

This collection of work is a continuation of previous work. I am really interested in how our landscape is formed and how we define and delineate that landscape. I find maps and mapping very interesting. Previously I had used digital photography to represent this and for this exhibition I wanted to leave the computer and return to something more hands-on.

You say the production processes mimics the natural, in terms of how you have interpreted minerals, rocks and sand in your work. Is this easier to do than it sounds?

It was not something that we set out to do, rather that it was something already happening within our processes.

In nature nothing is wasted, everything is used, transformed, merged; there is erosion, heat, and reforming of materials. As artists we do the same, working with the materials of our choice. Metals are shaped by applied pressure, cutting and heat; stones are cut and shaped and placed with the metal; paper from plant matter is broken down and reformed.

What would you love to work on in the future, or who would you like to collaborate with?

I will continue with what I am doing at the moment knowing that one thing always leads to another, even if there is a break sometimes. I always enjoy working with Regine and love the way our work sits together. Another artist I would like to collaborate is metal sculptor, Astra Parker.

I heart paper & Ink works

Artist profile: Catherine Hewitt