Artist Response Linked to Formal Elements

EXPERIMENTS

Experiments of Paper Relief's

Using my primary sources to convey the process that Callesen does, I decided that instead of using the conventional paper, I used the actual object that was used, during my summer holiday

Peter Callesen Artist Research

My first impressions of peter Callesen is he worked almost exclusively with white paper in different objects, paper cuts, installations and performances. A large part of his work is made from A4 sheets of paper. It is probably the most common and consumed media used for carrying information today. This is why we rarely notice the actual materiality of the A4 paper. By taking away all the information and starting from scratch using the blank white A4 paper sheet for his creations.

 “I find the A4 sheet of paper interesting to work with, because it probably still is the most common and consumed media and format for carrying information today, and in that sense it is something very loaded. This means that we rarely notice the actual materiality of the A4 paper.

“I feel I have found a material that we are all able to relate to, and at the same time, the A4 paper sheet is neutral and open to fill with different meaning. The thin white paper gives the paper sculptures a frailty that underlines the tragic and romantic theme of my works”

The description of Peter Callesen work is unbelievable, how can it all be made out of paper, 3D, each detail of a tree or a person is exactly as it is, no room for errors, it’s almost like the paper is alive and moveable, its white paper, but some of his work he has to incorporate colour. For example, blood, water etc. Some of his paperwork has a meaning that has directly happened or happening, or to create a fictional world.

The paper cut sculptures explore the probable and magical transformation of the flat sheet of paper into figures that expand into the space surrounding them. The negative and absent 2 dimensional space left by the cut, points out the contrast to the 3 dimensional reality it creates, even though the figures still stick to their origin without the possibility of escaping.

The formal elements that Callesen used are composition, patter, shape and form. In his use of composition he made sure that most of the

Background information on Callesen:

·         Born in 1967 in Demark

·         Education:

  1997-00 Goldsmiths College, London

 1994-97 Det Jyske Kunstakademi, Århus

 1993-94 Århus Art School (Foundation Course)

 1990-93 Århus School of Architecture

·         He has a number of self and grouped exhibition which included,  1998

(The Dying swan, performance at Goldsmiths College's exhibition)

·         From his first exhibition, he has continued to be attracted into different countries for his amazing work. for example, Copenhagen, New York, Denmark and Berlin

·         As many people think he only uses paper, but he uses other mediums to produce intricate installations, that are grouped.

Analysis of the Callesen’s exhibitions and paper work 

One of the most exciting exhibitions that Callesen did he served a luxurious lunch for everyone attending the show. The room was green-painted all over except for a white quadrangle on 208 x 264 cm, which correspond to the size of the famous painting, Le Dejeuner sur l'herbe by Edward Manet.

A white-chequered cloth on the green imitation lawn I had placed the lunch as if it had fallen out of the picture - the immaterial had become material.

 At the opening, he taped the sound of people drinking, eating and talking. After the opening, he emptied and cleaned the gallery for all the food. The only thing left from the happening was the sound, which you now could listen to in a pair of headphones hanging opposite the white "picture".

 The message for this exhibition is that about imagination and about making pictures. However, it is also an ironic comment on the importance of attending the opening of a show. Often the opening event becomes more important the art. Here literally, but not artistically.

 Large scale Paperwork

Three Angels Trying to Escape Their Drawing, 2007

Callesen's ability to create a story with simple sheets of paper inspires me to find art in everyday things. These large cut paper cut installations are particularly amazing because they explore the relationship between imagination and reality, between a beautiful and calm two-dimensional world and a frighteningly scary three-dimensional one. The paper cuts are small dramas in which small figures are lost within and threatened by the huge powerful nature. Others again are turning the inside out, or letting the front and the back of the paper meet – dealing with impossibility, illusions, and reflections.

In his paper works, Peter Callesen demonstrates that the flatness of paper can rise into a living three-dimensional picture. The pictures he creates out of paper are multi-dimensional in the sense that there is both a positive and a negative form, in which the silhouette, the absent picture, is often the most intense expression.

“By removing all the information and starting from scratch using the blank white 80gms A4 paper as a base for my creations, I feel that I have found a material which, on one hand, we all are able to relate to, and which on the other hand is non-loaded and neutral and therefore easier to fill with different meanings. The thin white paper gives at the same time the paper sculptures a fragility which underlines the tragic and romantic theme of the works.”

Here is a video of Peter Callesen briefly explaining what he does and how how does it 

Mono- Printing

A monoprint is a single impression of an image made from a reprint able block Monoprint may also involve elements that change, where the artist reworks the image in between impressions or after printing so that no two prints are identical.

The beauty of this medium is also in its spontaneity and its combination of printmaking, painting and drawing media.

Monoprinting is a form of printmaking that has images or lines that can only be made once, unlike most printmaking, where there are multiple originals.

Mark Making of the Sculpture Garden  

Mark making is different lines, patterns, and textures that are created in a piece of artwork. It applies to any art material we can use on any surfaces not only paint on canvas or pencil on paper. A line created with a pen, a swirl painted with a brush are all types of mark making it can furthermore it is loose and gestural, or structured and controlled such as hatching.  For example, I used toothbrush, hair comb, bubble wrap, sink drainer that was interesting, as I have discovered different ways for mark making. Another example, is using the sculpture garden for inpiration to mark onto actual objects for instance, the fan, another mark that was interesting was the flooring as you could convey all different types of textures. In addition, leaves also worked well to create the detailing that you wouldn't get if you drew it.

Stick Drawing

Mark Making with different Materials

Cliche Verre Process 

Cliché verre is french. Cliché is a printing term , a printable plate cast from movable type; while verre means glass.Cliché Verre was one of the earliest forms of reproducing images before the advent of the camera. As a precursor to photography, Cliché Verre could accurately represent the original scene without the tonal variations available in modern day photography.

The Cliché Verre process is a basic way of producing a negative by hand. It works by drawing on a fine transparent object like acetate or tracing paper, and then you paint your image using acrylic paint or permanent marking however taking in to consideration that what you draw will become negative. After it is then printed in a dark room.

When creating my negatives I drew from my primary sources on to acetate. My primary sources being both the items I collected and my photographs.

Painted Negatives:

 Second Process:

This is to set the lightness and the darkness, you want your photograph, the higher the number the darker the picture and vice versa.

This is the table where you layout, your picture must be within the boundary of the marked areas, to tranfer the picture correctly.

First of all you prepare the paper WITHOUT the light on,(with the red photography light) as this will damage the paper, as it is light sensitive.

As these are highly dangerous chemicals the teacher always mixes them for you, afterwards, YOU ALWAYS WEAR GLOVES the chemicals might slip into your hand while rocking the basin backwards and forwards. The developer helps the picture come through, you do do this for about one minute, or longer it you want it darker.

Always use tongs for each one of the processes 

The stopper is to help stop further developing of the picture and also damaging it, so this is done for about 10-15seconds

This is to fix the picture permanently, after doing this, you place the photo in cold water to wash away all the chemicals and safe for you to touch.

End Product:

This is a test piece,
to test the amount of darkess and lightness.
(right to left)