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The Fragments
These are examples from a body of work called The Fragments. They are hand coated silver gelatin emulsion on torn 300# hot press watercolor paper. Each piece is unique.
The images used in The Fragments have subtle implied motion. Tearing the paper to echo or reinforce the shape of the motion gives me control over what the viewer looks at and sees.
Additionally, I apply several coats of emulsion to add depth and greater contrast in parts of the image. The emulsion is applied with a brush, and I use these marks to add to the gesture. For example, on Into My Hands I intentionally extended brushed lines of emulsion into the white border on the left side to reinforce the direction and movement of the hairs in the horse's mane.
The paper is very heavy and when it is torn the edges reveal layers. These somewhat beveled edges curl slightly and give the final pieces a sculptural quality. I tame The Fragments by tying them to a background with cotton thread. This process is very much about control, and at the same time about accepting imperfection. This contradiction appeals to me on many levels.