Visit with Colleen Ho

Colleen Ho's process involves using a variety of fine-pointed tools to gently manipulate her paper's fibers, creating topographic surfaces subtly accentuated by the movement of light and shadow. She shares more about her process and gives us a behind-the-scenes look into her Greenwood Heights studio below.

How did your process first develop? Was it intentional, or did it evolve organically?

I’ve always loved drawing. In art school, I majored in painting and was interested in Abstract Expressionism for its direct mark-making and physicality. I was working on paper, either painting, drawing, or adhering found objects to it. I observed objects for their purely aesthetic qualities, as painterly 3-dimensional marks. Later, I began experimenting with the paper itself— folding, sewing into it, ripping it, and noticed the expressive quality of the torn paper. 

Can you recall the first piece you created using this approach?

In 2002, I had this box of latex gloves in my studio, and one day I thought it would be fun to wrap it like a gift using my nice art paper. I cut a hole in the top and pulled out some “fingers,” and it kind of resembled a flower or tissue box holder, so I thought of decorating the sides with a simple pattern. The paper looked so lovely and perfect, though that I didn't want to mess it up by drawing or painting on it. For some reason, I decided to texturize the paper using a thumbtack that was lying around. I believe this experiment was the genesis, but I didn’t start using the ripped paper process solely as imagery until about a year later.

What draws you to your chosen materials or tools?

Paper has a beautiful, smooth surface, is malleable, and surprisingly durable. You can make a variety of things with it, and it's easily accessible. It can be mass-produced and utilitarian, but also individually crafted and artfully made. I also use a thumbtack and X-Acto blade to “draw” by texturizing the paper surface. I’m not sure why at the beginning I decided to use a thumbtack except that probably it was what was nearest to me at the time…it feels natural, like a pen in my hand.

Can you speak specifically about the materials you use and how you source them/ why you select them?

I use typical heavyweight 300gsm printmaking and watercolor papers. I like a clean, monochrome surface where you can really notice the rip marks. I’ll select a sheet for its color, grain texture, and density. Papers that have fibers close together create fine marks, whereas papers with looser fibers produce thicker, softer textures. This contributes to the drawing’s character, like paint strokes.

Are there specific steps in your process that are non-negotiable?

I need to work during the morning and afternoon when the light is best in my studio and listen to music.

How much is planned versus improvised when you begin a new piece?

Before I start a piece, I tap into a strong feeling, sense of motion, or recall a visual impression and build up the overall composition organically. I try to make each drawing unique and not repeat myself. For more geometric configurations,  I use a hard-edge ruler and blade to create a simple grid outline as a visual guide. I don’t work directly from sketches, but on occasion, if I’m studying a very detailed and complex form, I make sketches aside to figure out the essence of the structure.

How do you know when a piece is finished?

I spend a lot of time looking and waiting for a piece to come together. Due to the subtractive nature of my work, doing too much irrevocably takes away parts of the composition and changes a piece entirely.  After the initial feeling that a work is completed, I will reflect on it for a while before deciding it is really done.

What’s the most difficult part of your process?

My drawings are subtle and quiet, and lighting greatly affects the visibility and tone of my drawings. Light is part of the work, but this can be uncontrollable. 

Have you ever had to change or adapt a piece due to limitations of your materials/process?

No, sometimes the paper has small imperfections, but I make that part of the work.

Can you share a moment when experimentation led to an unexpected breakthrough?

A few years ago, I started using a knife in addition to a thumbtack to lightly score the paper. Straight lines provided textural contrast, structure, rhythm, and balance in the composition. This led me to think more about structure and spatial interaction. Also, cutting is precise, requires more control, and premeditation.

How has your process changed over time?

Life and art are intertwined; things are always changing. My earlier work was more automatic and gestural. It still is a meditative and intuitive process, but I plan more at the beginning. These days, I read and study more, and have lots of ideas running through my head. I consider the time spent in reflecting and deciding the next step to be just as important as the action of putting down marks.

What influences (artistic, cultural, personal) have shaped the way you work today?

I am a second-generation Chinese-American and grew up in a small suburban town in the Midwest. Our house was more on the outskirts, surrounded by acres of mostly wooded land, so we had lots of space and freedom to roam. Even though I now live in an urban landscape, I am continually inspired by nature and my environment. I seek and find solace in harmonious patterns, nature’s vast intelligence, and ethereality. 

Does your process influence the themes or stories you explore, or vice versa?

Interesting question. The process definitely influences the theme, but maybe not all the time. I guess I don’t think of it like an “either-or” situation. After refining this technique for twenty years or so, I like to stay open to things and keep exploring and challenging myself to make each piece unique. 

What role does your process play in the meaning of your finished work?

There is a performative aspect to the work. Since it is a subtractive method with no other visual materials involved, you see the process in the finished piece. There is a tactile, physical, and emotional connection.

What excites you about your viewers' response when they learn about how your work is made? If that's something you think about!

I enjoy it when people say they never thought about using materials in such a way, that ordinary paper could be transformed into art without adding anything else.