For the Factory Made series, I hand-cut paper stock from independently-owned, family-run French Paper Company to create abstracted scenes of the very factory where the paper is produced. The series provides a glimpse into the operations of the 140-year-old American paper mill by showcasing the production process and machinery—from pulp to the final paper product—in intricately layered collage format.
The subject matter is of particular resonance to me, growing up within a mile of the factory, and investigating it as a means to reconnecting with my hometown of Niles, Michigan following the unexpected passing of my mother. I found artistic inspiration in the factory and its paper—providing a departure from my previous figurative works (Fauna) in paint, as well as positive, creative, and meditative distraction during my mourning process. The resulting series celebrates small manufacturing, and a geographical sense of home, and the positive healing power of intuitive art making.
In 2015, the Krasl Art Center of St. Joseph, MI commissioned a time-based media piece to accompany the cut-paper works for my solo exhibition of Factory Made (Jan 29- April 24, 2016). The video is an animated reinterpretation of the cut-paper pieces from my Factory Made series w/ accompanying sound collage--creating a virtual, voyeuristic tour of the factory and the processes from which the paper is made.
Special thanks to The Krasl Art Center, Jason Forrest Hogg, Jonathan Rauberts, Jerry & Brian French/French Paper Company for crucial support and technical assistance in helping to see this project to completion.
For best audio results, please listen through headphones/soundsystem to feel the lower frequencies and the rumble. And for best video results- project HUGE onto French Smart White paper.