Colleen Couch
Papermaker
wall sculptures * light fixtures
Meet Colleen:
papermaker/mom/music enthusiast
While studying sculpture at the Memphis College of Art, I enrolled in a papermaking course and instantly began merging the medium into my sculptural work. Paper made from fibers such as abaca, flax, and bamboo have the perfect qualities to apply towards dimensional work. These papers can be applied over wire armatures while they are still wet after pressing. They shrink as they dry and form a tight, almost skin-like appearance. Perfectly translucent paper is a highly desired quality in my light fixtures especially, so I will alter the fiber processing to arrive at this result.
In the studio my influences come visually from nature and aurally from music. Inspired by a scene in Walt Disney’s Fantasia, I set the mood with a perfect playlist and wait for the music to inspire the imagery and concept. From there it’s all about extracting that concept from my imagination and on to the studio table.
The Studio:
built with love and a whole lot of “fuck this”
In the summer of 2021 my brother, Andrew, and his wife, Tiffany, came to town for a long visit. The garage at their Memphis home (where I currently live) had seen better days and was in need of major repair. Since the roof was the most critical component needing a complete demo and rebuild, we all brainstormed a fresh new design for the structure. Inspired by architectural elements at my alma mater, MCA, we devised a plan that offered ample light yet plenty of privacy. I’ll spare you the hilarious yet frustrating parts of the renovation! But lets just say it truly was built with love and creative cursing. I cannot thank my brother and sister-in-law enough for bringing this dream into reality. There were several others who offered their blood, sweat, and tears (of laughter) to assist in this project. My two sons, Brendan and Ian, who never quit even when it would have been advisable. My ride-or-die. Johannah, who kept us in awe of her strength. My genius step father, Bill, with his electrical engineer voodoo. And a handful of other friends who were willing to answer our panic questions. Thank you all tremendously! This space brings an unmeasurable joy to my life.