Vanessa Godfrey

Concepts I began making paper whilst on a Painting Fellowship which evolved into a Papermaking Fellowship. The possibilities increased the more I looked into the history of papermaking, the variety of ways it's produced throughout the world and, of course, the different approaches of other artists who manipulate and transform this versatile material. I enjoy the physicality of papermaking, the making process, and the fact that I often include recycled paper in my work which in spite of the transformation it undergoes continues its ability to carry and express ideas albeit and inevitably very different ones from those it will have been produced for. My first paperworks often contained organic materials such as leave, seeds and pods which in turn influenced the shapes and forms that I produce as flat cast pieces, gradually other references along geometric and architectural lines also developed. 3D sculptural works emerged, along with changes in scale for certain commissioned pieces. Current works have seen increased reference to landscape making use of cast surfaces to create a visual rhythms for the eye to journey over.Influences My initial idea of attempting to make my own paper was to create an interesting vehicle for paint, print or drawing. Once I began to colour the pulps all sorts of other possibilities began to present themselves…even more so when I began researching artists who used paper and paper pulp and paper fibre or pulp as the basis of their art works. The history of papermaking and the journey it has made across the world through the centuries has also been a source of inspiration. I use paper fibre as a vehicle for the ideas and responses I explore in my work rather than a support for other media. Paper can traverse boundaries between fine art and craft. Various making processes produce great contrasts - from the fragility and vulnerability of tissue thin layers to the weight and strength of cast pulp condensed and compressed to appear a completely different material.Career path After graduating as a painter I gained a Fine Art Fellowship with the Digswell Arts Trust. During this time I began experimenting with papermaking and eventually this became the focus of my Fellowship. Since then I have continued to develop my work with paper, exhibiting pieces in galleries throughout the UK as well as participating in various art fairs. For many years now I have been running paper based projects for schools, colleges, art centres, museums and a variety of other venues. In addition to these workshops/short term residencies I am a visiting tutor at Camberwell College of Art. I am on the East of England Artist in Education database and the Crafts Council Photostore. My paperworks are sold to private and corporate clients either through direct contact or via several art consultancies which promote my work.