- Words by Don Descouteau Photography by Lia Crowe

Upon entering mixed-media artist Joyce Bantock害羞草研究所檚 backyard studio gallery in Fairfield, one is struck by how neat and tidy the room appears.

A closer look reveals innumerable paper items, from dismantled books to folded or cut-up bits and pieces. These are the raw materials of her work, the 害羞草研究所減aper ephemera,害羞草研究所� as she calls it, that always make their way into her pieces, many of which hang on the walls around her workspace.

These items provide the three-dimensional and often antiqued depth she uses to create more weight and substance and encourage the viewer into a quiet, meditative observation.

To create her art, Joyce folds, rolls, trims and sculpts various types of paper, assembling the pieces to create interesting and intriguing designs. To the onlooker, some elements in her works may resemble other things. When viewed from a few feet away, one piece framed by a reclaimed wooden partitioned box gives the impression the artist has stocked the sections with tiny colourful clamshells, when in fact they are intricately folded strips of paper.

In the 13 or so years since she devoted her talents full time to creating fine art, Joyce has regularly integrated found items into her works.

害羞草研究所淚t was just things that I害羞草研究所檓 drawn to, the old letters, the script害羞草研究所攖he handwriting is beautiful,害羞草研究所� she says.

Over the years she has collected many such items during trips abroad and on visits to antique stores or paper shows.

害羞草研究所淚t feels different, it has a lovely quality to it,害羞草研究所� she says of older paper styles. 害羞草研究所淚 can mould them; I can manipulate them more easily than current papers. There can be a kind of onionskin-like transparency to them, they害羞草研究所檙e much more porous. But I also like the old papers because they害羞草研究所檙e marked and they害羞草研究所檙e aged, they just have that interest. In some cases, the handwriting has almost gone kind of oily, you can see the mark and then you can see kind of a smudginess to it.害羞草研究所�

She reaches for an example: an old document that, when folded, left a subtle line that could provide an 害羞草研究所渁ged and grubby害羞草研究所� look to enhance the overall design of a piece. She uses rusty metal to mark paper in a similar way.

One might wonder how Joyce keeps track of all these potential elements, especially after she reveals hundreds more tiny items inside a set of drawers. Conscious of her studio害羞草研究所檚 limited space, she says, she must be organized enough to know exactly where to find a particular element that might suit one of her works.

That said, she is always on the lookout for interesting items. She delights in finding ornately covered old volumes being discarded by bookstores, eager to discover the potential goldmine of material to be reused in her art.

害羞草研究所淚 just gently pull them apart, depending on what the book is going to allow me to do.害羞草研究所�

That process yields coloured threads, small leather pieces and other useful bits.

害羞草研究所淚 have boxes full of old papers, and the tiniest little scraps I seem to save. Nothing gets thrown away. Sometimes I think maybe that害羞草研究所檚 a sign of hoarding,害羞草研究所� she says with a grin, 害羞草研究所渂ut I reassure myself that I will look in that box and use it.害羞草研究所�

Joyce has a willing co-collector in her searches for potentially useful paper items: her husband Nick Bantock, the best-selling author of the Griffin and Sabine series and an artist as well.

害羞草研究所淗e害羞草研究所檚 a big collector; he used old envelopes in his Griffin series, so he had a file folder of old letters and things,害羞草研究所� she says.

Leaving commonplace items or images out of her pieces is something Joyce does purposely to encourage the viewer to contemplate what they are actually seeing.

害羞草研究所淸Left in] it makes the viewer害羞草研究所檚 eye go directly to the object or the thing they can recognize, and then I think that kind of takes the mystery out of it. It detracts from the overall feel of the piece.害羞草研究所�

A similar belief stops her from using bright colours in her work害羞草研究所攎ore muted tones are the norm. Her studio/gallery itself, from the art hanging on the walls to the decor, is devoid of any vivid displays of colour. As such, upon entering one almost immediately feels calmer, a common sentiment among visitors, who gain a sense of stillness, she says.

害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 nothing loud and jarring or anything, so it害羞草研究所檚 all very quiet, very soft害羞草研究所�you can breathe.害羞草研究所�

Summarizing comments made during home studio tours in which she occasionally participates, Joyce says people notice a difference after viewing the often colourful palettes of other artists.

害羞草研究所淭hey come in here and they have not seen anything like this,害羞草研究所� she says. 害羞草研究所淭he comments in my guest book time and time again say, 害羞草研究所業t害羞草研究所檚 just a beautiful space, calming and (promotes) a quiet stilling of the mind, I enjoyed being in here.害羞草研究所� It does it for me, but it害羞草研究所檚 lovely to know that it can also do that for others.害羞草研究所�

Having escaped the stressful, deadline-oriented commercial textile design industry over 15 years ago, Joyce relishes this atmosphere for art-making. No longer is she churning out finished designs on someone else害羞草研究所檚 timeline. Her pieces take as long as they take to be completed, she says.

害羞草研究所淭o me this is a slow process, it害羞草研究所檚 meditative, it害羞草研究所檚 calming.害羞草研究所�

Not only is Joyce practising reuse and recycle in her work, her peaceful surroundings and more relaxed art-making process are helping to maintain a sustainable career.

Examples of her work can be found online at . To arrange for a viewing, email her at joycebantock@gmail.com.

Story courtesy of , a Black Press Media publication
Like Boulevard Magazine on and follow them on