Mandy Brannan : Book Artist/Papermaker/Educator

During the early eighties, after a jewellery /silversmithing internship in industry (Ruthin, Wales) arranged by Goldsmiths of London, I visited Kenya for three months and stayed for two years!!! That adventure resulted in my moving to Clovis, California, where most of next 18 years were spent raising two daughters.

It was during this time that I was introduced to the art of Japanese Papermaking and became involved in several arts/papermaking groups, including ‘Ramspott’ and ‘The Friends of Dard Hunter’. This method of papermaking allows me to create papers that are rich with color and texture. I really enjoy the technical element involved in the process of creating colored kozo and gampi fibers.

By developing a method of pigmenting the fibers, which results in multiple layers of colour, I then manipulated them in the sheet formation process to create papers with embedded texture and pattern. In 1999 I moved to St Cloud, Minnesota, and in 2005 moved to Minneapolis, Mn. where in the April of 2007 became part of the North East Arts community by acquiring a studio at the Northrup King Building.

In 2008 I decided to return to England to continue my studies and was accepted at Camberwell College of the Arts, London. To give myself the gift of immersing myself within the arts by becoming a full time Masters student.

Since my early college days I have been drawn to architectural structures for inspiration. Their patterns, designs gleaned from images that influenced my work can be seen in my past arts practice as well as my current work.

While studying for my MA at Camberwell the direction of my research, within my Book Arts practice, was to develop and create a visual language that explored my personal spatial experience while situated within specific architectural environments.To created site-specific work that attempts to create a connective narrative relationship between the room, work attached to the walls and hand held manuals.

The elements of architecture – columns, beams, arches, walls, apertures, vaults, and slabs – are comparable to a vocabulary, which can be combined together in an infinite variety of patterns according to practical requirements and emotional needs. --Auguste Perret, Structural Engineer

Education

Currently
Post Graduate Certificate in Learning and Teaching for Higher Education
University of the Arts London 2009/10

MA Visual Arts/Book Arts
Camberwell College of Arts 2009
Murton|Crawford Award for Book Arts 2009

BA [Hons.] 3D Design/Silversmithing and Jewellery
Loughborough College of Art and Design 1979

Foundation
High Wycombe College of Art and Technology 1975