Hand-made Paper - Light Sculpture

In ancient Oriental aesthetics, the spirits of harmony, respect, purity and tranquility were believed to reside in 'paper'. As a sculptor, I chose hand-made paper as my medium of choice to communicate the spirit of natural forms.

My 'chop' (above) or oriental signature, translates -

"Revealing the nature spirits through paper and light."

My attempt is to master the use of hand-made paper in three dimensional sculptures that are illuminated. The challenge is to capitalize on the translucency of paper unobstructed by the use of armatures or internal support structures for the paper sculpture.

Dick's hand made paper takes form as Mandarin characters or symbols and light sculptures. His work can be seen at: Mandarin characters and light sculptures.

My central artistic goal is to create sculptural works that convey both the impermanence of life, and the inherent beauty of natural forms, through the natural aspects of hand-made paper. My sculptures are cast on forms and molds of foam, wire mesh and acrylic to circumvent the need for armatures. Where support mechanisms are required, I make every effort to mimic natural forms like driftwood or coral.

Much like a Buddhist sand painting, paper is a transient and ethereal medium. The process of its construction is in itself a Zen-like experience, where beaten fibers are recasting as a new, but familiar natural form. The illumination of the paper emphasizes the paper's ability to pass light, and creates an abstract shadow environment beyond just 'lighting' the sculpture.

My hope is to create unique sculptures that evoke in the viewer a resonance and connectedness with nature. The familiar forms and exaggerated sizes of my sculptures borrow components from the natural world and human form, to allow simultaneous perception of both the figurative form and abstract concepts.