Masks

Over the past few years I've been collecting card boxes, cartons and containers. Nearly every packaged good I buy ends up unfolded and examined. The ones I find interesting go into the pile of future subject matter.

The boxes are chopped up and recombined into new shapes. The resulting "plates" are coated in ink and then run through a traditional flatbed etching press. The process captures a lot of the character of the boxes. Small wrinkles and tears make them similar to stone rubbings of artifacts. Every print has a distinct feel, thus they exist as monotypes rather than editions.

The boxes are made for distinct purposes such as holding bottles in place. When they are removed from that context they become something else. They look purposeful but it's not clear what that purpose is. The shapes become eyes and mouths. The flaps become arms, legs and heads.

Through symmetry and formalism the imagery takes on an elevated status. The solid color gives them a weight and density that belies the origin of the image. The pieces feel more like artifacts of some other culture than the disposable pieces of our own.