Meghann Harris

The natural environment inspires and informs my current practice.  Experiences of placing myself within the local landscape is further explored through process based studio experimentation; a sensory, somatic engagement with the aid of haptic memory.  Inspired by artists such as Ruth Asawa and Richard Serra, my experimental approach to working enables me to push boundaries, challenging my own preconceived notions regarding my chosen materials capabilities.

For myself as an artist, paper is more than just a material, it holds a personal meaning.  Paper is present in all of our lives, from the mundane roll of toilet tissue to the birth and death certificate.  Paper also serves as a reminder of our connection to the environment in which we rely for our human existence, the trees which supply our oxygen to breathe and our ecosystem to flourish.   

Using paper as my primary substance, I take a phenomenological approach to making, applying various techniques ranging from stitching, printing, drawing and even clay making.  A constant dialogue at play between inspiration, object and artist. The resulting works I create aim to embody the relationship between human, material, form and space.  Considered to be non-representational, open to interpretation and abstract in nature, I like to think the work invites a viewer response beyond the purely optical.