'Human beings are physical beings': Why this paper-cutting artist needs to work by hand
Rachael Ashe: 'We need to do things with our bodies — with our hands — to be fulfilled'
Rachael Ashe's paper-cutting work is inspired by the repetition of shape and form found in nature: petals radiating from the centre of a flower or ripples on the surface of still water.
To represent these natural shapes an organic process is also important for Ashe. "Producing work by hand is really important to me," she explains. "I think part of it just is human beings are physical beings."
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Ashe isn't against working with technology — she also creates paper works with a laser cutter. "The laser-cut pieces, it's just different work. It's an interpretation of the original hand-cut piece. They're both valid pieces of work, to me, but I don't want to become a laser-cut artist."
For her, it's about keeping a balance. "The way we live now is we live more of our lives in the digital realm than in the real world. I've tried to shift my life back, even though I still spend a lot of time looking at my stupid phone and my stupid computer."
"We're physical beings. We need to do things with our bodies, with our hands to, I don't know...to be fulfilled."
See more of Rachael Ashe's work below:
Art Minute is a CBC Arts series taking you inside the minds of Canadian artists to hear what makes them tick and the ideas behind their work.