paper2

in a complete freak impulse buy, i bought old ornate wallpaper from an opportunity shop on sydney rd. its probably about 10 metres long and cost me $10 long. but i think it breaks soumitri's idea that paper that we work with needs to be pure, virginal and natural. the wallpaper is far from that. it is very processed, and bleached, printed on and even a little tacky with glue. but it has been stored poorly, so it is fragile and brittle. it is not attractive because it is kitschy and 'retro', but more because it shows another side of paper. this wallpaper was the decoration of a simplre room somewhere in melbourne. although it is not striking, it is quite luxurious. i remember my granma's (mum's mum) wallpaper, in canberra. its bright green, and ridiculously ugly. but it is where i grew up. where i spent every tuesday evening during primary school. i guess its not until now when i visit and think 'that wallpaper is ugly!'. my other granpa's place is covered in all kinds of wallpaper. in the kitchen it is kitschy floral and in the living room it is ugly patterns. and perched in the kitchen is one of those plaster casts of a kitten, painted by me at about age 4, swimming in a sea of floral. what i'm trying to get across is that this processed, unnatural wallpaper is similar to the wallpaper in my life. to be frank - some japanese rice paper makes me feel at peace, and reminds me that i;m saving to travel, but it doesnt bring back memories like this scrap roll does. so this roll is important to me. i'm like to make sometime important to me with it sometime. it would make a lovely lamp.
heres what i've done to it so far. ressurected my lovely japanese ink and tried soem cursive strokes on it. i'll buy a bigger brush