In the process of creating, I trust my intuition because for me, doing
artwork is like starting a conversation without knowing exactly how it
will end. I work in the mediums of alternative photography, mixed media
collage and handmade paper because of their serendipitous and tactile
nature. The book I received in September was a thin paperback with no
images, entitled Journey Towards Intimacy--a Handbook for Gay Couples.
The cover and the first several pages were slashed. The book was a
practical guide on strategies to deal with the ups and downs of
relationships. It was really applicable to any couple gay, straight or
other. I just looked and looked at the book for several days. I would
periodically thumb through it, test my husband and myself on the
relationship quizzes and rack my brain trying to think of something to do
with it in terms of making art. I thought the best solution was to repulp
the pages to "transform" the book by creating new paper. I decided to
leave part of the text visible in the paper where normally, I would have
pulped it into a completely smooth sheet of paper. It was important to me
that the viewer be aware that the paper was once a book in its former life.
The inspiration for the imagery on Structural Alteration I and II was based
on my wonderful and creative friends Victor and Greg who are always traveling
on that journey towards intimacy and building a stronger relationship.
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