gestures in gold leaf: hand gestures, gold leaf, edible glue, Open Actions Performance Collective, Central Middle School grounds, 03/10/2015, duration 1hour
The Paper Period (Japanese: kami kikan) is a term used to define the works produced by Canadian artist Brenda Petays between 2008 and 2015 when she essentially abused books by unbinding and re-binding the pages. These “literary works” are now some of her most popular works, although she had difficulty selling them at the time.
encyclopedia and wheat paste, art history textbook and packing tape, found photo and packing tape with wooden stool, 2015
Artist Residency August 2015 Onishi
inside
outside (with motion graphics by Kurumi Shiowaki and sound by Momoko Negishi)
There is a fantastic antique shop in Onishi where I found many books to use as raw material and for imagery.
I found an old paperback book from the 1950’s filled with advice for young mothers…so I imagined for myself a Japanese mother: the photo on the cover of the book.
My Imaginary Japanese Mother:
…and I imagined stories and teachings she would have told me….
materials; old book paper, found images, pet bottles, water, beads, adult magazines
Bound and Unbound
Plant Spirit: washi paper, insects and nori glue
Sumi Book: sumi ink, old book pages
Bound and Unbound: old book pages, clothes pins, Onishi forest
Bound and Unbound: old book pages, metal pins, Onishi forest
Bound and Unbound: old book pages, thread, wooden skewers
Bound and Unbound: old book pages, thread, clothes pins
Bound and Unbound: old book pages, masks, string
Washi papermaking workshop, Awagami Paper Factory, Tokushima, Japan
The washi workshop participants peeling the bark of the harvested Kozu plant, cleaning fine debris, beating, cooking, pressing and finally forming sheets of washi/paper.
So great to make paper by hand and with a sustainable plant – the Kozu grows so freely and quickly and you only harvest some branches in the spring so the plant can be harvested each year.
brenda petays projects 