Sheets of paper fibre sourced from a paper mill form the basis of this ongoing installation. The work transforms an industrial material through a repetitive physical process. Brass paper fasteners, once commonly used in place of staples but now increasingly obsolete, are pressed through the sheets, accumulating into a dense field of marks. Designed to hold multiple sheets of paper together, the fasteners are instead repeatedly inserted into a single sheet, rendering their original function redundant. Varying in age and condition, some fasteners have developed a dark oxidised patina.
Paper Pushing explores repetition and labour, reflecting on the ways in which creative practice is sustained through other forms of paid labour, while questioning what kinds of work are valued, visible and economically sustainable.
First exhibited at the University of St Andrews in 2014, the work continues to evolve.
Laura Pels Ferra 