ARTIST STATEMENT
Historically, literature has significantly impacted the development of society with certain noteworthy works having shaped and changed the way humanity thinks and sometime acts. The reader-centred approach to literature focuses on the reader’s interpretation of a book, as once published the author’s intentions are irrelevant. Death of the Author explores this through the representation of fungi growing out of a novel. The parasitic nature of fungi is enforced by the degrading state of the books, suggesting a symbolic representation that certain ideas and perspectives that have grown from literature can evoke both dangerous and brilliant actions.
ARTWORK PROCESS
The creation of the unique fungi included using plaster bandages to lay over styrofoam balls, wrapping tissue paper over the mushroom shape to create a detailed texture, the use of paper magic clay to manipulate into the shape of a mushroom and the clustered collections of cupcake liners. The process of the books included the use of hot glue to secure the book pages together to stop the movement, damp tissue paper was then laid over the open pages and then scrunched which created a sculptural texture and then pastels were rubbed over the top to accentuate the creases.
