November 29, 2007
Inspired by researching the F. B. Brady Collection of paper theatres held in Christ Church Library, Rachel Williamson presents neat compact cabinets full of tiny treasures and reproduced images from the archived Collection. Screen Prints developed from childhood memories, such as ‘An Isabella to Cut Out and Keep’, are infused with colours reminiscent of the Italian cities, Venice and Florence. Ephemera collected from travels to these epicentres of Renaissance art are included in the form of collage. Pages from illustrated storybooks have been torn and bound by a cellulose paste to make small cavities that are filled with curios, as in ‘Act 1 Scene 1’, along the corridor of Christ Church Picture Gallery.
There is an undeniable Victorian twist to the pieces, for example in the style of typeface chosen for ‘Script’. The reconstructed paper theatres fire the imagination as each viewer puts together their own story from musing on each 3D construction. The pages of literature that have been incorporated into the mixed media pieces have had the words jumbled up so they no longer tell a tale, leaving the visitor free to create a new story. This is a neat, sweet and curiously entertaining show. ‘Paper Museum’ is a result of a journey commenced when the artist agonised over the considered purchase of a rare out of print book, speaking volumes about the power of paper.
There is an undeniable Victorian twist to the pieces, for example in the style of typeface chosen for ‘Script’. The reconstructed paper theatres fire the imagination as each viewer puts together their own story from musing on each 3D construction. The pages of literature that have been incorporated into the mixed media pieces have had the words jumbled up so they no longer tell a tale, leaving the visitor free to create a new story. This is a neat, sweet and curiously entertaining show. ‘Paper Museum’ is a result of a journey commenced when the artist agonised over the considered purchase of a rare out of print book, speaking volumes about the power of paper.