catherine colangelo: floaters

Artist Statement

Over the years, from time to time, I have cut holes in my painting.  When I first started using gouache on paper about 35 years ago, I used to complete the painting in gouache and then I would put it on the floor and pour water and liquid fabric dye over the painting, which would change the painting in very unpredictable ways.  Cutting holes in a finished painting uses a similar mechanism—the painting is finished and could be considered complete, but the act of obliterating that finish, with water or with holes, adds an element of risk that I find interesting and adds power to the piece.

As is typical for me, I tend to work as intuitively as possible and think about what I have made later. Evidence of paper-cutting in multiple cultures goes back hundreds, if not thousands, of years. Papel picado (“perforated paper) in Mexico is commonly used during Dia de Muertos as part of ofrendas to family members who have passed on.  The ofrendas frequently honor the four elements:  fire, water, earth and air, with papel picado representing air. There is also a tradition of papel picado being used to address life’s difficulties via shamans who would create custom art to address a specific need, be it a health issue, a troubled relationship, etc. This is very similar to the functioning of the Ethiopian magic scrolls that I have been interested in for a long time. 

In the Jewish culture and that of the Pennsylvania Dutch, paper cutting was used to create beautiful artwork that commemorated special occasions like births, baptisms, weddings and deaths.  Small paper cuts were sometimes carried around as talismans or amulets. Paper cuts served spiritual and decorative purposes such as indicating the direction for prayer and warding off the evil eye.

My work over the past seven years has been created for the protection of my daughter.  Shield shapes, defensive “X” shapes and sharp edges, along with busy patterns that confuse evil spirits have dominated the compositions. In the latest pieces, I have begun to incorporate the cut-outs in order to give the work the ability to breathe, and to introduce the power of air, wind, currents. As in Mexico, where the papel picado represents air, I like the idea that the imagery of these paintings can still be defensive, but can also allow the healing power of the wind to flow through the work and take it to a better place