Visioning Infinities

Visioning infinities (2019) Dimensions variable. Gouache on paper. During 2019 I have become fascinated with the process of paper marbling and the dynamic, organic patterns that can be created by floating paint on a bath of thickened size. The results are unique mono-prints that offer a glimpse into the infinite possibilities of this expansive method, that is somewhere between science and alchemy. I was very fortunate in being able to continue my research in Venice in July 2019, through a Steward Research Fellowship with The British Council. I used my time on the Fellowship to explore the history of paper marbling from 12th - 15th century, plotting the journey of its practice from east Asia, through the Middle East to Europe and the important legacy that still remains in the city of Venice itself. I am also interested in the strong connections that marbling has with spirituality, as it has been utilised throughout history by different cultures and religious denominations to provide ornate backgrounds and end papers for religious texts that act as a gateway to the divine. As a process, marbling affords us the opportunity to still the mind and offer space for contemplation. The fluid patterns, fragmentary globular forms and vibrant blooms evoke distant planets, microscopic organisms and mineral deposits, each image a unique vision rich with possibilities.