Hedy Parry-Davies

Tessellations

15th March - 10th May 2015

I am a practicing architect and my interest in this profession originates from my preoccupation with design and the crafts that contribute to the construction of buildings. My specialism in the conservation of historic buildings has provided opportunities to discover the traditional craft and decorative skills used in masonry, timber, leadwork and plasterwork, amongst others, and has also involved me in the application and the commissioning of these specialist skills. 

In my early years I accompanied my father, a graphic and fine artist who designed and created a diverse range of products from paintings to furniture, liaising with designers and craftsmen in the process. I was encouraged to make and recycle objects to form furniture, models and decoration. Design and drawing became a way of life and I have continued this family tradition making toys for my children and recycling objects to create original light fittings, furnishings and artwork. 

In my Tessellation work I use redundant materials, maps, manuscripts and other papiér trouvé. I combine these two-dimensional images to craft three-dimensional works of art experimenting with the tensions between content and form. The paper construction allows for both continuity and concealment of the detail which creates intrigue and invites exploration. The juxtaposition of different and repetitive geometric forms contributes to the overall composition.   

In the Architexture series I use my own photographs of the built environment. I express the textured skin of buildings in three-dimensional paper construction. The architectural image breaks down into its detailed components and informs the overall composition.