Finestra per un licheno

Finestra per un licheno (2005)
(Window for a Lichen)

unframed price

cotton fibre, reclaimed cotton, pigment dyes

H 27 x W 22 cm

Suggested framed dimensions:
H 47 x W 42 cm (min)

Multi-layered piece built up to produce a semi-relief effect. I wanted the underlying layers to come through so I used finely mashed fibre and thin layers to add to the transparency. Thicker layers were added later, wet-on-dry.

The intention was to create distance in the piece and suggest a curtain being drawn to lead the viewer out into an exterior space.

Originally created for the cover of Myne (Frances Presley) published in 2006 by Shearsman Books.

Note on the technique:

The cotton fibre pulp works are built up using layers of dyed pulp in a wet-on-wet or wet-on-dry, hand mould and deckle process. There is no glue in the mixture as the 'paper' holds together through the natural interweaving of the fibres themselves.

The pulp is made predominantly from cotton linters which is repeatedly mashed with water before different natural or synthetic, fibre-reactive pigment dyes are added to create the basic palette. In some cases, organic material is mixed with or embedded in the pulps, with the possibility of larger elements being stripped away when wet or dry leaving a 3D graffito-style impression in the revealed layers. An important feature is the uneven edges (deckle edges) that the process produces.

The natural light plays a big part in the drying process which can take 3 to 4 weeks. Natural sunlight and the right temperature help the chemical reaction between pigment and fibre resulting in stronger, high-density colours.