Ocean Currents/Water Column -Bioluminescence, 2019
Commission for Scripps Institute of Oceanography, University of California San Diego.
This pairing of papercuts is inspired by the ocean – both its surface seas and as well as its currents. Photographic references to large schools of fish and bait balls informed the patterns of shapes and directions in the paper cut “Ocean Currents”. I found an incredible flow of inspiration in the process of cutting this complex, undulating paper form. Looking at the work completed, it seems to me it is a physical manifestation of the flow that I felt. It also represents something that art can have in common with science: the source of their respective inspirations is often the same. Where do the sparks for ideas come from? How can we stumble upon the right questions to ask? Real inspiration can be elusive, and that tireless search is what keeps me working.
The companion piece, “Water Column,” is made from the pieces that were cut away from “Ocean Currents.” Reusing the “waste” from one paper-cut to create a second paper form emulates a “zero waste” approach. I like working with paper because it's a material ubiquitous and often taken for granted. But through careful attention and precise manual labor, something of little value is elevated and made precious.