Christine Wong Yap, Glasses for Seeing Red, 2008, screenprinted paper, rubylith, 3 x 20 inches.
Some of you may have see my prototype image of some red-lensed paper glasses. The prototype is for an editioned multiple which will be available at the Activist Imagination exhibition, which opens February 29th. Here’s another shot of the multiple-in-progress at my studio.
The individual pair of glasses is a small artwork, but I hope the net impact will be bigger — which is why the edition size will be about 125-135, and I’ll be distributing a limited number at the opening. So come early.
Here’s how I made the glasses.
First, I procured 100% post-consumer recycled paper for the glasses frames, and rubylith (a red film used for screenprinting) for the lenses. Unfortunately, few art papers are recycled, so I made a special order from a paper distributor.
Next, I had my screen burned with my design. I don’t have access to exposure units, so it’s easier to pay someone to burn the screen. Then I trimmed the paper to size, and printed red water-based ink on the paper.
More trimming followed. It would have been cool to make a die that would have cut out the 5-sided holes for the lenses, but it would have been an expensive luxury. So armed with a razor, straight-edge and patience, I plowed through it. For straight cuts, I have abandoned the Xacto. A hardware store break-off blade stays sharp longer.
The rubylith lenses are attached to the paper with double-stick tape. I’ve found double-stick tape to be the best low-toxic option for fixing plastic to paper.
The final trimming will be done by you. That is, I’ll leave the prints cropped to rectangles. Scissors will be available to gallery visitors to cut out the glasses along dotted lines. Just fold along the scored lines and you’ll be ready to see red!
Christine Wong Yap
Artist
Activist Imagination
christinewongyap.com
