- Words by Don Descouteau Photography by Lia Crowe

Upon entering mixed-media artist Joyce BantockB次元官网网址檚 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 B次元官网网址減aper ephemera,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淚t was just things that IB次元官网网址檓 drawn to, the old letters, the scriptB次元官网网址攖he handwriting is beautiful,B次元官网网址� she says.

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

B次元官网网址淚t feels different, it has a lovely quality to it,B次元官网网址� she says of older paper styles. B次元官网网址淚 can mould them; I can manipulate them more easily than current papers. There can be a kind of onionskin-like transparency to them, theyB次元官网网址檙e much more porous. But I also like the old papers because theyB次元官网网址檙e marked and theyB次元官网网址檙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.B次元官网网址�

She reaches for an example: an old document that, when folded, left a subtle line that could provide an B次元官网网址渁ged and grubbyB次元官网网址� 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 studioB次元官网网址檚 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.

B次元官网网址淚 just gently pull them apart, depending on what the book is going to allow me to do.B次元官网网址�

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

B次元官网网址淚 have boxes full of old papers, and the tiniest little scraps I seem to save. Nothing gets thrown away. Sometimes I think maybe thatB次元官网网址檚 a sign of hoarding,B次元官网网址� she says with a grin, B次元官网网址渂ut I reassure myself that I will look in that box and use it.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淗eB次元官网网址檚 a big collector; he used old envelopes in his Griffin series, so he had a file folder of old letters and things,B次元官网网址� 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.

B次元官网网址淸Left in] it makes the viewerB次元官网网址檚 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.B次元官网网址�

A similar belief stops her from using bright colours in her workB次元官网网址攎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.

B次元官网网址淭hereB次元官网网址檚 nothing loud and jarring or anything, so itB次元官网网址檚 all very quiet, very softB次元官网网址�you can breathe.B次元官网网址�

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.

B次元官网网址淭hey come in here and they have not seen anything like this,B次元官网网址� she says. B次元官网网址淭he comments in my guest book time and time again say, B次元官网网址業tB次元官网网址檚 just a beautiful space, calming and (promotes) a quiet stilling of the mind, I enjoyed being in here.B次元官网网址� It does it for me, but itB次元官网网址檚 lovely to know that it can also do that for others.B次元官网网址�

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 elseB次元官网网址檚 timeline. Her pieces take as long as they take to be completed, she says.

B次元官网网址淭o me this is a slow process, itB次元官网网址檚 meditative, itB次元官网网址檚 calming.B次元官网网址�

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
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