LAVA BED (from the Kilauea series) (2023)

Cotton pulp in black made with carbon, black pigment, metal dust
20′ x 16′ x 7′

This work is from a series the artist created from his study of the lava beds of the shield volcano known as “Kilauea.” It is a volcano on the Big Island in Hawaii that became active during his work there in 2015. It has become even more active now. 

De St. Croix and master papermaker Lisa Switalski pulled large sheets of paper and almost immediately laid them over the armatures. Thick sheets of paper are usually left to drain and be pressed, as the strength of the sheet depends on how much water is in the pulp. Instead, the supersaturated sheets lost the integrity of a regular sheet of paper and collapsed around the armature as the pulp fell off of the paper screen, the movement emulating nature. In another twist on regular paper making, the works were air-dried quickly, rather than a slow restrained process. This intentional loosening of control led to more serendipity in the resulting pieces, creating rich surface textures and tears, allowing the natural state change of the material to direct the final work, from wet to dry.

Photographer: John Varghese

Associated projects: Research: Kiluaea and Over Ice