Cloth Paper Scissors Demo - (Page 11) fabricating the fable After making a few quick sketches, I began to gather the elements I needed to visually convey the idea these objects had triggered. The main box is layered with letters bound with waxed linen threads. To create the letters, I made several photocopies of handwriting and distressed each one with sandpaper and a Dremel® tool. Each of the folded letters is made of two pages. The top page is glazed with a vivid green acrylic paint. The underlying page is glazed with a contrasting antique gold, bringing out the moth-eaten look of the pages. Hovering above the letters are the eyes of the jealous suitor, masked in a frame made from an old book cover. It is attached to a strip of painted wood with glue and rusted upholstery nails. Just below the eyes, a bridge of hardware cloth carries a piece of wood with the definition of “deception” collaged onto it. A “crown of poison pens” sits above the glaring eyes. This crowning ornament is a recurring element in my work. I use crowns made of objects that reinforce the overall theme. This crown is made from old pencils, wire, and pieces of a disassembled colander. Hanging below the main box is a cage with a framed image of the young woman. I copied the original photo found in the jewelry box and cropped it, leaving a blank space next to the girl to create a sense of tension, uncertainty, or deep contemplation. Negative space can be a powerful visual tool. Her gaze to the left leads to the photo of the other man in this tale. He is somewhat hidden behind her, among stained letters and a heart pendant that’s wrapped tightly with wire. Hanging from the wire box is a black stone, symbolizing the weight of doubt. Tags cut from aluminum flashing are engraved with the words “jealousy” and “untruths”: the debris of distrustful hearts. September/OctOber 2008 | ClOth Paper SciSSOrS® 55
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