 |
 |
Jennie Gilling
|
|
I have been making paper since 1983. My background is in embroidery and textile design, which I studied at Art College. I exhibit collages and other framed images and work to commission. I have lived in Bath for fourteen years where I have worked in two of the city's galleries, along side my work as a professional gardener. I am a founder member of PaperWEIGHT. With my earlier work in textiles having an emphasis on surface decoration, I now enjoy creating and manipulating the surface. The majority of the paper is made from recycling but I also produce plant fibre papers, the material frequently coming from the gardens I work in. I often apply casting and embossing techniques so my work has three-dimensional pieces inset. I sometimes place fragments of text in collages because I want the words to hint at something beyond the space of the picture. Over the years I developed my own writing and have produced two limited edition artists' books of poetry with a third on the way. Current experiments revolve around an old photographic method using sunlight developed by the astronomer Herschel, called Cyanotype, of which the 'Blue Veins' series is an example. Creativity provides me with a way in
which I can 'distil' my experiences. My themes are mostly about my response
to the natural world - beaches, geological patterns, archaeology and
both tamed and untamed places. I am fascinated in the stories behind
landscapes - the marks and signs of older worlds that map our environment
that frequently go unnoticed. In parallel, I am drawing from my own
family history as a form of preserving memories, embracing an acceptance
and understanding. I am increasingly conscious of the importance of
recording such narratives whether they are personal or observations
of the world around me. |