Address | 1784 Shades Crest Road |
---|---|
City | Birmingham |
State/Province | AL |
Postal Code | 35216 |
Country | USA |
Phone Number | 205 823-3008 |
E-mail Address | sjohnsonart@charter.net |
Website | null |
First interest in hand papermaking process: 1974
First piece of handmade paper: 1974
First handmade paper artwork: 1980
Beginning of active practice: 1980
Click on an image for the full view.
Years teaching hand papermaking: 1984-1996
I was a biology major when working for my undergraduate degree. I took Economic Botany once and it has become apparent to me that my interest in using materials from the vegetable world to make art may stem from that ancient history. In my pursuit of making art with handmade paper the encounter with Japanese papers and handmade European papers has been invaluable for my expression, growth and development as an artist. There is no other material that has allowed me the freedom to explore shape and idea--a substance that allows me to bring subject and object into the same mental realm. Many of my paper forms have been extremely satisfying to me, and expressive. The most recent work is a structure on which I project light digital images. Currently I am revisiting some previously cast linen sheets in order to design a new work. When staying in the home of Yamaguchi in Echizen, Japan I was told that when you touch the Japanese papers you can feel the spirit of the warm hearted Japanese women who participated in making the papers. It is my hope that my work will convey the same intimacy.
This seems like a good idea to me. The paper people I have known have always been considerate of those of us scattered about who are bound together by a paper thread.