MILLEFEUILE/ TRANSPARENCE

Detail of Forest #4,  30x40 cm,  art by mary m payne

Millefeuille literally means a thousand sheets and is the same name given in France to the pastry we call a "Napoleon" in the States.  Here is my art project results based on the theme of "layers"....  but without cream.

 In this project I was asked to work using materials that were transparent and to build them up using a minimum of 3 layers .  Materials could include glass or plexiglass; papers such as tracing or tissue papers; plastic and its derivatives; scotch tape, or gels and glues that dry to transparency. 

  I chose to work with the plastic we call rhodoïd  in France.   Some of it can be purchased in office supplies and is mainly used for printers as film for overhead projectors. 

 I found that with my own ink-jet printer the ink on ordinary plastic used as a substrate just stays on the surface.  I could only use that wet ink layer by transferring the ink onto a paper in the method of monotype ( mono printing).   There is also a rhodoïd made specifically for ink-jet wherein the ink stays on the plastic and so for these works I used both kinds of plastic.  I also did use the mono prints taken from the transferred wet ink onto paper in forests # 2 and 3. 

Forest #1 , art by Mary MM.Payne, 30x40 cm framed in beige mat

Essentially these works are composed of three layers of plastic, paper or the transparent non woven polyester fabric sometimes commercially called "Gossamer". 

 I have taken photo images of trees I found in "shutter stock" and used them to build my "untouched forest" settings.  I say untouched as in wishful thinking.  I hope there are a few forests of the world where no one has been but it wouldn't be the ones photographed here.  Still I found comfort in the images that exposed no humans, just majestic trees and their ecosystems. 

 The distinct layers have ½ to one centimeter of space between them, held apart by black "gator board" a kind of display board characterized by an inner core of foam.  It has a wood fiber veneer and is waterproof.  These pieces therefore, stand about an inch from the wall when mounted. 

 Forest #2 , art by Mary M Payne, 30x40 cm framed in black passe-partout ( mat)

Forest#3  art by Mary M Payne, 30x40cm framed in grey mat

Forest # 4 ,art by Mary M Payne

In this photo detail you can see the textures. It is the only piece where I used cut-outs.   The first layer is cut away plastic with traces of the photo, the second layer is paper backed plastic with non woven fabric adhering to it.  

The background layer has not been cut out and is also covered with translucent "gossamer".  Various mark making tools.... including a hand made rubber stamp of a tree were used to enhance the composition.  

 These pieces remind me of fold-out books of childhood.  I have to say, they are better "in person" than in the photos.  

Forest# 4 , art by Mary MM.Payne, 30x40cm framed in black mat