Overview
This is the first, limited edition, work on paper made by Andrew Pepper.
Part of The Absence of Drawing series, it developed from early pieces using drawings within holograms and recent paper based work shown on the Drawing Wall at the Bonington Gallery.
In April 2008 staff associated with Nottingham Trent University School of Art and Design, were invited to submit a drawing for the Drawing Wall, part of the Drawing Out exhibition which took place at the University’s Bonington Gallery.
In connection with the exhibition were a number of workshops, including an introduction to the University’s laser cutter. Andrew Pepper took part in one of these workshops and the Absence of Drawing series developed from this first engagement with the machine.
There is an identifiable link between some of the early holograms, which used laser light to 'capture' physical drawings, and the laser light used here to cut away similar drawn marks.
The gestural drawings (shaded rectangles) have been individually cut by a fine beam of laser light into 350gms hand made water colour paper, They are the space where the drawing once was - now a view into an area behind the surface of the paper.
Special thanks to Terry Shave, Professor of fine art at Nottingham Trent University, for organising the laser workshop and offering me a place on it. To Claire Humphries, who lead the workshop session and to Sue Turton, guardian of the cutter, who has helped me pursuade it to do what I wanted it to do and not what it thought I wanted! Andrew Pepper 2008
Nine Drawn Spaces has been on show at: The Leicester City Gallery, as part of the 'One Leicester Open 20' exhibition, 15th November 2008 - 10th January 2009, and Gallery 286, London, as part of "The Earl's Court Irregulars' exhibition. December 2008.
These videos are also available in the Video Gallery.