All the pieces for this screen came from one Hide. This was one of the more challenging pieces I made in this series. Each ‘Y’ component was made up of two parts, each part had its own die knife that I got made. These two parts were then stamped using a leather stamping press.

The two parts were then riveted together before fixing them into a four sided pine box jig. This was then submerged into boiling water for between 5-10 seconds. It was then taken out to let dry in the jig for about 2 days until it completely dried. I had made about 25 jigs, so the whole process had to be repeated multiple times over multiple days until I had enough ‘Y’ parts to start the next stage of the build.

Through this boiling leather process I learnt a lot, including letting go of my desire to control a process. I had to let the leather form its own landscape. I could hold parts of it to a shape, but what I did not bolt down tight, the leather had a mind of its own as to where it would lay to rest. Each ‘Y’ piece was unique which at the beginning really bugged me, I could not control the outcome.

Once I let go of trying to control the outcome I really enjoyed the process, even though it was repetitive. The fulfillment I felt at being immersed in a process where the outcome was unknown was an absolute joy.
Below are some images of the process for this piece:

— NOT FOR SALE —

This project was supported by Creative New Zealand: