Diggíng Deep to Rediscover Beauty
Louise de Vries Lentsch, The Netherlands
Originally I was trained as a teacher of handicrafts and textile arts. Up until 2016 l also worked as a therapist, and specialized in the use of creative coaching methods.
I am used to working and thinking in three dimensions. But when I first graduated, I lived in a small house and could not possibly store three-dimensional works. That is why, thirty years ago, I started making two-dimensional graphic art. I love the variety of different techniques, I always like to try new ones, and to this day l 'm still discovering more.
But then, ten years ago, I really rediscovered paper art. ln 2006, I began making artist's books because putting graphic art behind glass no longer felt right to me. My graphic art is best in a book, it's made to be held in your hands, to be felt, so you can smell the paper and ink to make real connection with the image and the prints. Paper immediately became very important in my work again. After a while my books were looking more like sculptures again, in three dimensions, instead of more conventional book forms.
ln 2010 a new development occurred, and I started to bury paper in my garden. After a month or so, l 'd exhume it and use it for my paper art and artist's books. In addition to my fascination with paper, I am also fascinated by rusted iron. The transient nature of dug-up paper and the rusting of iron is the same process of caducity, both gain more depth and beauty. That is why I like to incorporate found, rusted iron objects in my paper art. ln my art there is a strong link with being a therapist. My art is about memories of negative experiences in the past that often hurt. However, if you dig them up and dare to face them you will, in the end, experience their beauty and value. Like the sample book bindings, the books and the bowls show what often remains hidden. That is why I bury paper and dig it up again and use rusted iron in combination with it. I love working with paper-l always did, and I always will.
Eggshell Bowls (2016).
These bowls are made from paper combined with rusted iron wire found at a bridge-building site. They seem very vulnerable and fragile, like eggshells with a bite. But, to the contrary, they actually are very strong.
Sample book bindings (2015):
I made 7 book samples of dug out paper whit iron objects. In the pictures you see the hanging scroll, the clove-hitch binding, the flag-book and 4 more examples. I used rusted screws and bolts found at the shore of a tidal river.
Buried book: lost chemistry (2016):
The title of the original book is lost chemistry. I bound the signatures and put the book down for a year in my garden. Nothing or less happened. Then I buried it for a month and with this result, the chemistry in the paper and pages are lost.
Louise de Vries Lentsch, The Netherlands
Originally I was trained as a teacher of handicrafts and textile arts. Up until 2016 l also worked as a therapist, and specialized in the use of creative coaching methods.
I am used to working and thinking in three dimensions. But when I first graduated, I lived in a small house and could not possibly store three-dimensional works. That is why, thirty years ago, I started making two-dimensional graphic art. I love the variety of different techniques, I always like to try new ones, and to this day l 'm still discovering more.
But then, ten years ago, I really rediscovered paper art. ln 2006, I began making artist's books because putting graphic art behind glass no longer felt right to me. My graphic art is best in a book, it's made to be held in your hands, to be felt, so you can smell the paper and ink to make real connection with the image and the prints. Paper immediately became very important in my work again. After a while my books were looking more like sculptures again, in three dimensions, instead of more conventional book forms.
ln 2010 a new development occurred, and I started to bury paper in my garden. After a month or so, l 'd exhume it and use it for my paper art and artist's books. In addition to my fascination with paper, I am also fascinated by rusted iron. The transient nature of dug-up paper and the rusting of iron is the same process of caducity, both gain more depth and beauty. That is why I like to incorporate found, rusted iron objects in my paper art. ln my art there is a strong link with being a therapist. My art is about memories of negative experiences in the past that often hurt. However, if you dig them up and dare to face them you will, in the end, experience their beauty and value. Like the sample book bindings, the books and the bowls show what often remains hidden. That is why I bury paper and dig it up again and use rusted iron in combination with it. I love working with paper-l always did, and I always will.
Eggshell Bowls (2016).
These bowls are made from paper combined with rusted iron wire found at a bridge-building site. They seem very vulnerable and fragile, like eggshells with a bite. But, to the contrary, they actually are very strong.
Sample book bindings (2015):
I made 7 book samples of dug out paper whit iron objects. In the pictures you see the hanging scroll, the clove-hitch binding, the flag-book and 4 more examples. I used rusted screws and bolts found at the shore of a tidal river.
Buried book: lost chemistry (2016):
The title of the original book is lost chemistry. I bound the signatures and put the book down for a year in my garden. Nothing or less happened. Then I buried it for a month and with this result, the chemistry in the paper and pages are lost.
7dbef007-ed71-4d6f-a71e-5a4a6d73c05b
IAPMA bulletin 56 LdVL
