The largest was a 4 tonne sculpture in the foyer of the High Court of Australia in Canberra in 1998. Click to read newspaper article on it's construction.
Durable Compressed Paper sculptures
Since 1994 I have been making sculptures out of books and compressed paper. Click here to see some.
For an introduction on the role of paper/information read this.
For my paper clay sculptures list here
Those interested in digging deeper into what motivates me, may like to read "Dead zones of the imagination On violence, bureaucracy, and interpretive labour” the 2006 Malinowski Memorial Lecture, by David Graeber, from Goldsmiths, University of London.
Since 1994 I have been making sculptures out of books and compressed paper. Click here to see some.
For an introduction on the role of paper/information read this.
For my paper clay sculptures list here
Those interested in digging deeper into what motivates me, may like to read "Dead zones of the imagination On violence, bureaucracy, and interpretive labour” the 2006 Malinowski Memorial Lecture, by David Graeber, from Goldsmiths, University of London.
An early work was a 2 metre high pile of recycled paper: "In Tray" (1993)
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Art Research in Robertson Park
The local Town of Vincent allowed me to install this test work in a park over the summer months to see how durable are my paper sculptures. It was made from documents and glossy magazines donated by the Town of Vincent Council, the community and The Language Centre. Why? Paper is made predominately from wood. So by compressing paper I am creating a compressed wood. The theory is that it should be as durable as a hardwood. Unfortunately these have been little, if any research done in this area, so this work was a test work. The local Town of Vincent allowed me to install this test work in a park over the summer months to see if the theory worked. The work was installed in the inner-city Robertson Park at dawn on October 9 2002, with the help of Brad Stapleton, Terry Dowling, Umberto Alfaro and Paul Carstairs. After three months I dismantled the work and examined the ageing of the paper. Then I recycled the more durable types of papers from this into a new work on a new steel rod. |
The original "paper man" ( 2002-4)
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The Arch 2004-2007
Created from donated glossy high quality paper Perth Mint annual reports. These are difficult to commercially recycle, often ending up at the rubbish tip. The reports were drilled at Applecross Senior High School, and the studio. New techniques were developed to compress the paper over the arch as the paper was re-treaded up to 20 times. The paper was carved using the Arbortech™ Industrial Woodcarver, then sanded. The project was assisted by the Commonwealth Government through the Australia Council, its arts funding and advisory body. |
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2005 Commission
A commission from Queensland for 22 compressed paper sculptures trigger a frenzy of activity of the studio. Around 4 tonnes of books were collected. I removed their covers and Life Editions, a book binding firm kindly cut them to the exact sizes required, despite this occuring during their office and factory move to the Perth CBD. Because each sculpture was 1 and 1/2 metres high, then over 33 metres of paper was cut by them and later drilled and threaded by myself. A gold edge was discovered on many of the books, so was presurved to add interest in the final works.
A commission from Queensland for 22 compressed paper sculptures trigger a frenzy of activity of the studio. Around 4 tonnes of books were collected. I removed their covers and Life Editions, a book binding firm kindly cut them to the exact sizes required, despite this occuring during their office and factory move to the Perth CBD. Because each sculpture was 1 and 1/2 metres high, then over 33 metres of paper was cut by them and later drilled and threaded by myself. A gold edge was discovered on many of the books, so was presurved to add interest in the final works.
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2007 Work
The 2 metre (6 ft 7 inch) high "Pending" was created by compressing and carving 300 company annual reports, Royal Australian Survey Corps Topographical maps of Western Australia. Originally created for the weekend Southbound Music Festival in Busselton (20,000 people). Then selected for the Paperartzi Paper Art Festival organised by NewArts and the City of Albany. with the work displayed on the Town Hall Lawn for a week. Then selected for "Redeeming the ruin: Art of Consumption", a exhibition that will tour regional galleries through Victoria for all of 2008 and into 2009. Galleries include; Deakin University, Latrobe, Mornington-Peninsula, Swan Hill and Horsham Regional Galleries. After all it's travels, it returned to the studio, where it rested, before the base was recycled into one of the towers in The Kiss which exhibited in the 2015 Cottesloe Sculpture by the Sea. |
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In 2007 I was again selected, to create a sculpture for the 2008 Southbound Music Festival in Busselton. "Sum" was a 1.6 m high circle of over 500 Annual Reports, with two spheres made from over 5,000 survey maps on opposite sides and ends. As the paper weighted over half a ton, and was on a 45 degree angle, I spent substantial time designing the supporting and internal structure to withstand the possibility of some of the intoxicated 20,000 music fans climbing upon it!
In 2008 I was commissioned to build two metre high fungi infected paper finger sculptures for the understory forest sculpture walk in southwest Australia.
Other 2008 projects include a 5,000 book braincell I built in a new library, and five compressed paper towers I built in a forrest, to which I added specially cultivated fungi!
In 2009, the State Library of Western Australia commissioned a 2 metre high paper totem made of hundreds of children’s books.
Also in 2009 I construct a large (300kg) compressed sculpture for installation outside on the Cottesloe beach, for the annual Sculpture by the Sea exhibition which draws a crowd of 200,000 people over the two weeks.
For the 2014 Dublin Biennial, in Ireland, I researched 3D printers that print paper in layers, before constructing, shipping and exhibitions two, 2m high ceramic and compressed paper works.
As the Artist in Residence at Tranby College (2013-15), I created four outdoor sculptural seats from more than 20,000 pages of paper and 2000 bicycle spokes.