Elaine Cooper

ELAINE COOPER     

ARTISTS PROFILE 
                                                                     
Japanese paper and culture are an integral part of Elaine Cooper’s life.  To her, the beauty of washi is paramount; it represents the toil, the passion and the finesse of generations of papermakers, and is a means of expressing her own creativity

In 1991, she was invited to Japan to develop her ideas on making handmade paper. She spent the next 10 years working closely with the Master Papermakers of Mino, who are revered as National Treasures in Japan.  They entrusted Elaine with the closely guarded secrets of their ancient craft, whilst she introduced them to the innovative techniques that she had developed.  It was the beginning of a long and unique collaboration, and a particularly creative period in Elaine’s artistic career.

15 years on, Elaine is regarded as an expert in her field, and an advocate of her craft and its traditions.  She is also an accomplished fine artist.  ‘Her exquisite papers provide the perfect medium for her art work and her creations have a resonance, beauty and depth that is sublime.

Papermaking is so versatile. It its most delicate form it may echo the fragility of life and the environment. When moulded or carved it may be used to add structure, depth and scale. Paper may be presented as soft or hard, draped or rigid, patterned or stitched. It is brought to life in an image or textile, or as the pages of a book.

Elaine’s work with paper research and development has equipped her with a wide knowledge of the properties and performances of different materials. She is thus able to create an exclusive medium for her complex etchings and paintings. The variety of colour and texture in her work provide an added dimension whilst careful control of the papermaking process ensures its durability, strength and longevity.

Often combining over 800 individual pieces of paper to make one image Elaine creates work which is imaginative, fresh and totally unique.

Currently living in Bristol Elaine was born in Swansea, South Wales and attended Swansea College of Art Foundation course. Following this she studied Fine Art at Maidstione College in Kent. During her foundation studies in 1979 Elaine was first introduced to the craft of papermaking but it was during her study at Maidstone and learning the skills associated with printmaking that she began to experiment with etchings, constructed from papers made with numerous combinations of natural fibres. The quality of line, tone and texture were of particular interest, and remain so to this day.