"paper spirit" by Laura Colussi
ARTIST STATEMENT
I love the holiday season. I love the smell of cookies and peppermint. I love the feel of a warm cup of hot chocolate, and I admire the holiday window displays and homes decked out for the season. I like the lead-up, or the holiday season, over any specific holiday. The preparation and the spirit are so beautiful to me. Winter is my favorite season when it snows. I love the feeling of warmth that comes with the cold. A feeling of nature's beauty and a sense of isolation as things slow down and animals and people snuggle into where they feel safe and warm.
This installation brings to mind that feeling of ease and the gentle simplicity of the holiday season. Here, a young girl decorates a water tower with a simple wreath as snow falls around her. Strings of snowflakes cut out of recycled book pages swirl over her head, and the whimsical nature of the paper mache water tower and ladder brings to mind a childlike wonder of the holiday season. The same snowflakes that fall overhead encircle the bottom of the water tower as snow collects on the ground. The scene is uncluttered, referencing the stillness found in the chaos of the season.
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Laura Colussi is a mother, artist, and teacher who is always making things. She holds a BA in Fine Art from Saint Joseph’s University. Her work is process-based and focuses on the intersection of childhood joy and finding one’s place in the world without losing that joy. You can spot her in a crowd, with her paint-splattered boots, covered in glitter, picking up random objects that she finds inspiring. She currently teaches art to Pre-K through fifth-grade students at Simmons Elementary in Hatboro Horsham School District.
