EMILIE HOUSSART
Chaos series
A series of sculptural paperworks considering the interactions of humans with complex natural systems beyond our comprehension. These contemplative works pair geometric shapes with chance-process 'chaos' marks; two opposing elements which cannot be produced by humans unaided. The viewer is invited to engage with an individual interdependent system and its geometric root, and to reconsider the relationship between damage and creation.
Works in editions are made with the same strict set of processes, with a necessarily unique outcome for each print. Pictured are the first prints of each edition.
Chaos II: Variations and Distortions, 2018
This series of small-scale works was begun during a residency at print studio Print To The People (Norwich, UK) in 2018. These unique prints are made with Tosa paper, a lightweight kozo washi often used in repair work. Each print begins with the same 5x5cm copper plate, inked once, and a square of paper torn (Variations) or cut (Distortions) to 20x20cm. The paper is crushed and printed multiple times with precisely controlled variables and an unpredictable outcome. The mats have been altered with drawing, piercing and sewing to show the loss in area post-'damage'. The final ghost impression on each print is a complete square, sometimes barely visible except for its plate mark.
The Chaos II Variations are monoprints in editions of 7, and the Distortions are monotypes.
Chaos II, Variation II Monoprint on Tosa with sewing, 1/7, 2018
Chaos II, Variation VI Monoprint on Tosa with sewing, 1/7, 2018
Chaos II, Distortion I Monotype on Tosa with graphite, 1/1, 2018
Chaos II, Distortion VI Monotype on Tosa with sewing, 1/1, 2018