visible connectors - coils of abaca

We use a lot of hidden wire, velcro, tape and nails to attach our paper objects to each other, but we don't like hiding things. We prefer making connectors part of the work. Along with their physical chore, they need to shoulder an aesthetic role.

Abaca is pretty strong when rolled into a coil.

As such, an attractive length of such stiff abaca "rope" seemed useful for cobbling parts of our sculptures together.

We rolled some 96” x 4” strips of 5 hour double-couched abaca into coils. Once dry the coils have some flex but they will permanently crease pretty easily. The restrained position you dry the coil in is what you get.

We moved the coil around on a sheet of pink insulation foam to find a design that would look good hooking parts of a sculpture together. Then we traced the design on the foam board and put the coil aside.

We used a cutter and carving tools to gouge out a groove to serve as a mold for the coils.

With the ends tacked down with T-pins, the coils shrank taut and stiffly structural. Even with a fan blowing across the surface, it took 12 days to dry - about 2x as long as expected. Foam board does not breath or wick.

If the dried coils are too thin, they lose some of their visual punch. It also makes them more vulnerable to hingeing which leaves a permanent crease in the coil.

LandesSullivan at gmail.com