Mary Merkel-Hess, an American artist, has captivated the art world with her unique “Landscape Reports”, a series of stunning basket-like rolled paper sculptures. Drawing inspiration from the natural beauty of the Iowa farmlands where she grew up, Merkel-Hess employs a blend of reeds, paper cords, and a papier-mâché-like mixture to craft her organic forms.
Her creative process often begins with an abstract image, such as a line of grass or a particular color, which then evolves into a detailed scale drawing before the actual molding and layering of materials commence. The resulting sculptures are not only a testament to her innovative use of fiber but also a reflection of her deep connection to the landscapes of her childhood. These pieces serve as a tactile report of the environment, capturing the essence of the Iowa countryside in a tangible form.
My works usually begin with some sort of image, which could be very abstract. It might be a line of a grass, sometimes it’s just a color, sometimes it’s something about the quality of a whole landscape. And any inspiration I get, I usually feel has to result in more than one piece. Because a life of constant creativity, you can’t afford to pass up any good ideas. And then I usually go and make a scale drawing of the mold I’m going to build, or of the basket as I want it to be, or both. And sometimes I’ll have an inspiration for a long time without being able to think how to make the shape. So I have a notebook where I keep these things. And then I build the mold. Then I make layer upon layer of paper with these inclusions of reed or cord or whatever, and build it up. Eventually it comes off the mold, and then it needs to be shaped and painted. And I go through periods of using lots of color and then using no color and just concentrating on the form.
Mary Merkel-Hess
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