May Babcock
An artist who gives voice to waterways by turning seaweed, sediment, and plants into paper.
Message
Foraged seaweeds are embedded in paper pulp by the artist during the wet hand papermaking process. Seaweed and pulp are pressed and dried together, resulting in an extraordinarily detailed preservation of the aquatic species.
Ocean flora is layered inside a natural, organic, tactile, imperfect, translucent handmade paper complete with feathery 'deckled edges.'
Macroalgae started as an innovative identification method while researching aquatic plant and algae species for paper fiber in Rhode Island waterways.
My artwork acts as witness to local ecologies and poignant evidence of human activity, while celebrating the beauty found in natural forms.
This Artwork
These red Asian seaweeds samples, Devil's Tongue Weed (Grateloupia turuturu) and Heterosophina japonica were collected from Moonstone Beach in South Kingstown, Rhode Island.
- Inventory Number: MM1319
Other Work From May Babcock
