Matthews, Leah

I create works with paper and installations. With an emphasis on hand papermaking, I use pattern and the repetition of geometric shapes. I employ colors, shape, and form as catalysts, with the intention that the viewer will project his or her self into the piece, making each encounter intimate. The organic forms fill and take over the space by molding to the environment. My installations allow the viewer to physically encounter and experience the work. By mimicking the pattern in the on to the ceiling a unified environment is created. The viewer enters the lobby and is confronted from above and below with the same pattern creating an ocular vibration, that disrupts the viewers predetermined path into Events Hall. The viewer’s vision is altered and sense of motion and space is heightened. As the viewer moves through the lobby into the hallway investigating the pattern, their path is altered, slowed, and lengthened, becoming aware of oneself spatially. The viewer is then persuaded to consider the space and material more carefully. The viewers are asked to re-evaluate their own purpose and relationship to the space. The use of paper to transform a space raises consciousness of material. Common Associations made with paper normally follow the traditional knowledge of the flat two-dimensional sheet. Because of its sculptural and structural integrity this piece is an advocate for the exploration of paper as a modern material. By taking on New Forms this work expounds the boundaries and bridges the gaps between Hand Papermaking and Installation Art, also educating the public on the capabilities of Papermaking.