Following the announcement of this year’s award recipients we received a note from someone expressing disappointment that awards had been given to works “ON” paper rather than works “OF” paper.  While a couple of those works are indeed works ‘on paper’ rather than ‘of paper’, the organizers feel all the works truly fit with the ‘art of paper’ theme and make use of paper either structurally or as a support to express or show something that could not be achieved in the same way without paper.  The jury did have some difficulty with this and were not quite sure how rigid to be about whether the paper was integral to the work.  Given that the conditions of entry state that submissions must be” Contemporary works on or with paper.  The work must include or feature paper”, it was decided that even works which use paper solely as a support must not be excluded from consideration for awards.  In fact, the awards in last year’s edition actually went far more in the ‘on paper’ direction so the awards this year give more toward paper as integral. In the end we feel all the chosen works, including the people’s choice, went to work in which the paper is an integral part.

The 2 which are ‘on paper’ would be the Mark Andrews piece “Raven brings Universal Light” and the Alexandra McCurdy series “Under Wraps“. Andrews is a painter who works exclusively on paper.  He is particular about the paper he uses and tests that paper’s limits by not merely painting upon it but by applying layers of natural minerals mixed with pigments, powdered graphite, oil sticks, oil paints, and beeswax.  The surface of that is pressed, incised (both in the pigment layer and through the paper), burnished, and polished.  The paper, it’s qualities, and how it responds to or withstands what he does to it is a significant part of his work.

McCurdy’s series of relief prints may at first glance seem but images on paper however fine art printmaking began in China following the development of papermaking around 100 CE and would not exist as the art we know if it were not for paper. Relief printing itself only developed in Europe in the 15th century when papermaking knowledge was imported from the east. Without the paper, this work would not exist.  http://www.amccurdyceramics.ca/

As for the other four, James Robinson‘s “Gate” is absolutely both ‘of’ and ‘on’ paper.  The work is folded, burnt, printed, drawn, and painted upon, cut, and glued. The resulting segments are then assembled to create a larger work. https://www.jamesrobinson.nz

The “Book of Nineteen Nocturnes” by Jim Holyoak is a series of 19 volumes, each one constructed and assembled by hand and presented all together in a handmade paper/card box so it also is both ‘of’ and ‘on’ paper.  http://monstersforreal.com

Sharon McKenna’s 3-D painting “What Was When” is constructed of various materials with a heavy emphasis on paper.  https://www.facebook.com/Raven-Gallery-Frame-Shop-480542975297933/

Laura Widmer‘s “Cascades” began with paper that she made herself and then printed a series of linocuts on.  Each piece in the triptych is then constructed by layering the prints over two rails secured to the wall in order to obtain the three dimensional cascade effect.  http://www.laurawidmer.ca

 Awards & recipients listed below – Les lauréats et leurs oeuvres ci-dessous…

Le prix Nonesuch est de $5,000 plus une résidence de 3 semaines à Main & Station (Nonesuch Art Centre) à Parrsboro, Nouvelle-Écosse. Le prix est décerné à Book of Nineteen Nocturnes de Jim Holyoak.

BOOK OF NINETEEN NOCTURNES
Jim Holyoak

The Nonesuch Award is 5000 dollars plus a 3-week residency at Main & Station (Nonesuch Art Centre) in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia. The award goes to Book of Nineteen Nocturnes by Jim Holyoak.

Le prix du Paper Factory pour le construction de papier le plus créatif est $1000 plus une résidence de 2 semaines à Main & Station (Nonesuch Art Centre) à Parrsboro. Le prix est décerné à Gate de James Robinson.

GATE
James Robinson