Sun Study
2023
Paper relief in shadow box
14" x 11" x 1.25"
This relief, made entirely out of paper, depicts a lifesize version of a sheet of wide ruled notebook paper. When viewed straight on, the paper may appear to be two-dimensional, but a side view reveals its three-dimensional nature. The horizontal (writing) and vertical (margin) lines of the notebook paper are created by paper strips glued on their thin edge to the white substrate. Embedded within the notebook paper is the image of the sun either rising or setting over water. Ambient light bounces off the paper strips and casts color onto the white background, further bringing the scene to life.
The artwork has several possible interpretations. If the sun is perceived to be setting, then that could suggest how notebook paper is becoming obsolete in our increasingly digital world. The sun is literally and figuratively setting on paper. However, as wide ruled notebook paper is predominately associated with primary and secondary school education, where students use it for activities like notetaking and journaling, then another possible interpretation is that the notebook paper is a place of reflection and illumination—of the sun and of the mind.