MN Original
Twin Cities Public Television program featuring Cave Paper
Sculpture Gallery
I make at least one large sculpture a year, these photos I put up are some of my favorites.
Persimmon House on display at Traffic Zone and Grain Belt Bottling House Minneapolis, MN
15' x 610 x 8' Aluminum panels holding Kozo paper dyed with persimmon
The metal house has plastic panels which I covered with dyed paper. The paper Persimmon juice is extracted from a green persimmon fruit then aged 2-5 years. This is coated onto Kozo paper which then becomes naturally water repellant. Interior of house was papered with handmade Persimmon treated paper and functioned as a showroom for my collages. The exterior was covered with hand painted text by Kimberly Blaeser which reads: 'Face the ancient copper, light of dawn of dusk, this flame of song, a word tether--seamless, blessed.'
We are All Going to Burn on display at Grain Belt during Art-a-Whirl 2019, Minneapolis MN
15' x 6' x 8' Wood panels holding Kozo paper dyed with walnut and indigo. Live trees, and live grass Cotton paper with seeds on metal entryway.
Handmade kozo paper with indigo and walnut natural dye and images that were only could be seen in a certain light made a continuous 20’ diameter circle interrupted by a welded metal entryway. The metal archway viewers entered was embedded with sprouting grass seeds and raw flax was included both on the inside and out.
Prayer for Air/Mantra for Water 2017
Prayer for Air/Mantra for Water is a paper waterfall cascading from the second floor to the first. There are three very long ropes hanging from the ceiling to the floor with blue sky/ white clouds paper. I simply wanted viewers to think about air and water. Before and during the showing people wrote prayers on handmade paper and attached it to the sculpture. This was made on site for Art-a-Whirl in Minneapolis MN.
5 Elements
Made for an exhibition in Beijing China this sculpture is a visual interpretation of the natural elements making up the foundation of Chinese Medicine. Traditional Chinese doctors balance wood, fire, earth, metal, and water within each patient. The panels of these handmade paper collages finger down from a connected circle. Where the elements split there are doorways viewers can enter. The five elements each have a corresponding cast paper bowl with appropriate natural objects inside. For example, the “wood” bowl has pinecones, the “water” bowl has seashells.
Healing House on view at Grain Belt Brewery Bottling House during 2014 Art-A-Whirl
10' x 6' x 8' Metal armiture, Cotton paper with seeds. Chinese Herbs in windows. Natural items like starfish, rocks, etc.
Natural elements were embedded into the paper like seeds and shells and the windows contain clear envelopes of herbs, each of which is labeled with a key for reference as to its healing properties. Tai Chi and massage where done in the house over the course of the weekend.
Dome
Collaboration by Amanda Degener and James Kleiner. View of inside at “Art-a-Whirl”, Minneapolis.
Inspired by Buckminster Fuller's domes we cast paper on onto a dome viewers could enter. The cement relief sculpture on the floor was completely conceived and made by James.
Seed, Spirit, Plant, Earth, Seed Again
View of entrance.
The 'Earth' panels are blue circles, 'Seed' panels have seeds imbedded into the paper, 'Plant' have green dyed raw kozo, and all the 'Spirit' panels are unique. The size of the panels gets smaller as it goes towards the ceiling forcing an illusion of something taller. It took several years to make the paper for this sculpture which is a holder of light. I was trying to convey the feeling of a good day of meditation.
Containment and Regeneration
View of once a day ice block impregnated with seeds.
A block of ice impregnated with seeds and small pebbles was put into the sculpture everyday. As the ice melted the seeds let go and the sound on the bamboo was like a musical instrument. There are live bamboo plants inside that got nurtured by the water. The structure is lashed together with bamboo poles and both kozo and bamboo fiber were cast on the dead bamboo house-like form.
Ancestor Balloon
View of overall at “Faculty Exhibition”, Minneapolis College of Art and Design.
During the end of the war Japan launched 9000 handmade paper balloons on the jet air stream with bombs attached, over 1000 of them reached North America. They knew the paper in these 10 meter diameter balloons was strong enough. My grandfather was a hot air balloonist for the Navy and a great story-teller. I sent handmade paper out to people who wanted to participate and people wrote about their ancestors. These books are the ballast of the balloon, our ancestors keep us grounded. The stories in the books can be touched and read.
From Within and Without
Commission for and installation at Lawrence University.
The inner bark of the mulberry tree made the paper for this sculpture. The tree in the lobby of Lawrence University's Music Building was my inspiration.
Alice in Wonderland
Made with a grant from Forecast Studio Projects. Artist made kozo & cotton paper on Aluminum armature, 1985.
Inspired by Lewis Caroll’s book Alice in Wonderland this book/sculpture was on display in downtown Minneapolis in what was then called The Pillsbury Center. The section Caroll’s text I used is where Alice eats something and shrinks and then eats something else and grows. I printed it one letter at a time using my foot as the press and played with the text. A normal book you read the right side of the book then the left side but I extended the text accoss two handmade kozo pages and reversed small letters and capital letters. The three-dimensional book covers show Alice overwhelmed by a make-believe map of the world and an oversize Alice barely fitting onto the page.
Aboriginal Parthenon
Wood, kozo paper, metal, fiberglass, 2005, Made with a Grant from the Jerome Foundation. Wood, kozo paper, metal, fiberglass, 15’ diameter 10’ tall.
The Parthenon is a temple in Rome Italy dedicated to Athena, goddess of many things including arts and handicraft. I decided to make an inverted basket shape for my sculpture and similar to the Parthenon a circular opening at the peak of the roof.
Essence
Fiberglass, walnut dyed paper, wood, ink. 4’ x 2.5’ x 3’ 2004. poem by Stuart Kestembaum, calligraphy by Jan Owen, sculpture by Amanda Degener.
Impermanence
Collaboration by Amanda Degener and Bridget O’Malley at “Art-a-Whirl” Minneapolis
15’ x 8’ x 15’ Cloth, lights, hand cast paper, wire. Inspired by labyrinths, this work Is not complete until people enter.
View From my Window in Taiwan
9’ diameter circular table, 1’ hanging moons. Handmade paper, bamboo, paint, sand, wood, wire, light. Taiwan Paper Arts Festival
I was invited along with other international artists to create an on site sculpture in less than a week. I wanted people to feel they were part of the universe and they could touch the stars by playing with the sand and turning the moons.