-paper giants — KY ANDERSON

Paper Giants is an ongoing project between three artists: Ky Anderson, Meg Lipke and Vicki Sher. They met in Brooklyn, NY where they maintain distinctly individual studio practices and exhibition records. Paper Giants was conceived as a means of investigating and maintaining individual ideas within a shared space and format, at the same time producing a body of work that is meant to be shown together. As Cydney Peyton puts it in the exhibition catalog, the exhibition “subverts the curatorial in favor of collectivity”. The collaboration extends into the studio as the artists regularly share work in progress photos and engage in dialogue as the work progresses. This communication and mutual awareness was seen as a vital part of the project, reminding one another to use this format and large-scale space to freely explore and delve deeply into content, form, to explore materials and each artist’s emerging ideas.

Each artist incorporates materials from their ongoing studio practices: Anderson draws and paints, Lipke batiks and draws, and Sher paints, draws and collages. This diversity provides welcome divergences to the ordered arrangement of the installation. The works line up side-by-side, acknowledging association while maintaining distinct voices. There is an element of trust among the artists, they each can follow their own path, and know that in the end there will be a shared experience. The installation of Paper Giants is intentionally casual. The work is unframed and pinned to the wall mimicking the informality of the studio and highlighting the connection the three artists have behind the scenes.

The discussions and artwork for Paper Giants began in 2013. Exhibitions include - The University of Northern Iowa in Cedar Falls, IA (2020), Lois Lambert Gallery in Santa Monica, CA (2018), Moore College of Art in Philadelphia, PA (2017), The Volland Gallery in Alma, KS (2016) and Proto Gallery in Hoboken, NJ (2014). Each show features new work. The project’s intention is to continue into the future, evolving alongside each artists’ practice, and reflecting their individual developments over time.

Each piece is 72 x 60 inches on thick printmaking paper.

2020 - University of Northern Iowa, Cedar Falls, IA.