Kate Howard

Sea Serpents (after Klimt), 2007

Italian glass tiles, glass ceramic, copper, paper pulp, found objects, oil paint on a cement-based substrate
1400 x 560 x 40 mm

This piece began as a technical challenge. I chose to appropriate the design so I could focus purely on the process of construction, experimenting with a range of materials and techniques.

One of the central challenges was achieving overlapping layers of disparate media—similar to the way the flaps of a cardboard box fold and tuck into one another. The sculptural elements were built up using paper pulp, applied in multiple layers and gradually carved back before being primed and painted.

The copper elements were made from old telephone cabling. The wire had to be stripped, annealed, soldered into place, and finally screwed to the substrate. The process became both a learning experience and a labour of love—an exercise in experimentation and problem-solving as the piece gradually took shape.