Pulp Fiction: Metamorphosis of the Mundane by Cybéle Young

 

Pulp Fiction: 

Metamorphosis of the Mundane by Cybéle Young

‘These manifest as miniature theatres – one act plays, where shifts of scale and perception occur. Despite the absence of the human form there is an implied presence, where the viewer can project themselves into another world.’

Cybéle Young

Cybéle Young is a Toronto-based sculptor who has been crafting paper objects for over 25 years. Her practice is focussed on crafting miniature household items that morph over a sequence of 4-5 iterations into fantastic creatures; by incorporating these evolutions she aims to present an animation, or a single act narrative, that engages the viewer in a kinetic moment of magic.

She studied sculpture and print making at the Ontario College of Art and Design, and has mastered techniques drawn from Japanese paper craft, the traditional arts of "Shifu" (winding paper threads), and applying textures with copperplate etching tools.     

 In this CBC interview from 2020, she speaks about the reasons she enjoys paper craft. For her, the medium of paper is a "playmate" that is infinitely malleable while not imposing any pretention on her creative process. She describes how liberating it feels to know that she could just as easily destroy her creations as craft them.

Striking elements from this video include:

• Her use of Shifu strands of paper to reinforce curved structures
• The way she "draws" with glue to design shapes - this is made possible by the flexibility of the Japanese papers.
• The way she is drawn to Japanese papers for their longevity, speaking of Renoir prints on the same paper that look brand new, even today. 

It's odd that in all of her interviews or press-releases, she never speaks to the thematic through-line of depicting everyday items transforming into grotesque, parasitic entities. That was the detail that drew me to explore her work further, that juxtaposition between the intimate and familiar paired against the repulsive. Her works creates a titillating suspicion of the everyday items that inhabit your life, from furniture to appliances. It makes you reconsider the trust you instil in the items you invite into your household.

Artistic Statement:

"My practice consists of making miniature sculptures from fine Japanese papers, some of which are embellished using etchings and other media. I create exact miniature replicas of real life objects and abstract shapes. Before the sculptures are sequestered to life under glass, I often animate their moving parts in stop motion film works, offering clues to their fictional history.

Engaging with abstract and familiar motifs, I juxtapose sculptures to create a sense of dialogue or play between them. I approach my work in series and components, ultimately building an ongoing inventory of personal experience and observation.

I compile these in various arrangements to create communities that interact and form new relationships – much like the small seemingly insignificant moments in our everyday lives that come together to create unexpected outcomes.

These manifest as miniature theatres - one act plays, where shifts of scale and perception occur. Despite the absence of the human form there is an implied presence, where the viewer can project themselves into another world."

https://www.cybeleyoung.ca/

http://www.cbc.ca/player/play/1700501571956