Mary Judge .. Works on Paper

WORKS ON PAPER

MARY JUDGE

Lake Michigan Series [ SLIDESHOW ]

These were completed during a stay in Lelanau County, Michigan. Abstracted flower forms are the basis for these drawings, which were executed in powdered pigment on paper using stencils.

Below, the drawings on paper were made with a perforated stencil laid on rag paper and pounced with a sack of powdered pigment. In cases of areas of flat color, a cloth is laid over the paper, a stencil is used to isolate certain areas, then pounced. Pigment passes through leaving marks, patterns or dots that create an overall image. The version of this technique which I have developed, derives from the "spolvero" (meaning dust) and was used by Renaissance artists to transfer drawings to the wall for fresco painting. The stencils are made by tracing a single symmetrical form many times or in the case of the Concentric Series, I work from the center out, being open to variations that happen along the way. Random effects are an important aspect of the finished piece. I work in series, meaning that I develop a form and continue to mine its variations until it's exhausted.

Archival notes: The following works are all executed with powdered pigment in earth tones on Somerset 100% rag printing paper, rough and fixed with matt fixative. They are signed, dated and marked for orientation on recto.

Oculus Series

Oculus is Latin for eye and the word for the round opening in the top of a dome in various architectural forms and other round windows and openings. In this series I have developed new techniques for an enriched image; drawings are reworked and the spolvero matrix is often reused in different ways. They are consciously more diagrammatic, geometric, and sculptural. More color has been added into areas blocked out by stencil by laying a cloth over the paper surface and pouncing it. Size of works: 30x30"


Spiral Form Series [ SLIDESHOW ] These, the largest of my single sheet drawings, are based on a sort of 3-dimensional spiral form, created when the single traced element rotates around two points at opposite ends and meeting in the center. Size of works: 40x54"		Exotic Hex Series [ SLIDESHOW ] These were inspired by Pennsylvania Dutch hex signs. Here a single design form is rotated around the center point of a circle. Size of works: 36x36"

Cast Paper Series
[ SLIDESHOW ]

I made these pieces in collaboration with Paul Wong, artistic director of Dieu Donne Papermill in NY after being awarded an Artist Workshop Grant that unfolded over a 15 month period. After some experimentation I came up with this process: I took sheets of Denril, a plastic-like semi-transparent architectural paper, "drew" on them with silicon chalk following the lines of a pre-existing spolvero drawing placed underneath as a guide. The silicon created rough lines in bas relief about 1/4" in height when dry. At the mill, I took these "stencils" and sprinkled them loosely with powered pigments including metallics, stainless steel filings, aluminum filings, powdered graphite and peat moss. The powdered stencils were then placed face down, on the freshly made water sodden paper and put into the press. After being pressed to release excess water, the stencils were peeled back to reveal the finished work. Many random effects resulted: because of the water and powder resisting each other fractal patterns formed or air bubbles trapped under the Denril formed "holes". I reused the stencils to create a series of works though each is completely unique.

Catalogue available www.dieudonne.org

Process at Dieu Donne Papermill [ SLIDESHOW ]


Concentric Shape Series [ SLIDESHOW ] size: 40x32"		Andalusian Series [ SLIDESHOW ]


Circle Series [ SLIDESHOW ] size:10x7"		Concentric Series [ SLIDESHOW ] size:10x7"		Automatic Writing Series [ SLIDESHOW ] size:10x7"