ReMade Artist Spotlight: Tiffany Van Mooy

Tiffany Van Mooy's inspiring and imaginative tree rings have made it into our showroom once again. The rings of would-be scrap paper are saved from the recycle bin and turned into realistic tree cross-sections, even wrapped in real tree bark, that bring one to draw the connection of paper waste to their wasted tree resource. Tragedy turned beautiful. And quite ironic. To tie it all together, Van Mooy brings out text excerpts and quotes for the viewer to read and reflect. 

What the artist has to say about her works and her process:

These tree rings are a return to nature. An organized solution to the blizzard of magazines, junk mail, photographs, roadmaps, phonebooks, cards, forms, letters, spelling tests, parking tickets and newspapers blanketing our home. These pages, chopped and spiraled contain poignant texts, elegant journalism, heartfelt memories, and endless sheets of unsolicited junk. I make these rings to give purpose and order to the paper in my world, to immortalize a few important pages and to mark time.

Several of her pieces made it in this year, and you can see she does not just stick to paper:

• Quit Your Day Job, Times magazine, unused business cards, birch bark with vacant paper wasp nest, 7” diameter, $500; 
• Christmas is Awesome, Holiday greeting cards, family newsletters, photographs, white paper birch bark, 10” diameter, $500;
• Ring……ring……ring, Cape Cod Yellowbook directory, sycamore bark, 10” diameter, $500;
• Margins, New York Times, birch bark, 11” diameter, $500;
• Tree Ringlets, Paper, Bark, 1 – 3”, $30

Tree Ringlet

Ring……ring……ring is definitely a staff and guest favorite.  There is not much variety in the coloring of the inner circles, er, rings of this tree cross-section, as you won't find much variation beyond yellow and gray in the local Yellowpages!

Additionally, while you have to peruse the showroom walls to find most of her pieces, you'll find the Tree Ringlets at the checkout counter in the front of the room.  Not to be confused with a tray of sushi (!), a magnetic panel holds about 20 1"-3" mini tree rings, each magnetized and ready to bring home.

Of her ringlets, Van Mooy says, "Each ringlet is a short story; a small moment, a unique collection of discarded pages surrounded in found bark. Pieces may include grocery store receipts, credit card applications, birthday invitations, kiddo art, catalogs, magazines, parking tickets, birth announcements, thank you notes, theatre playbills, road maps, spelling tests, gum wrappers, warranties, bills, instructions and newspapers. Each piece is a titled one-of-a-kind."

Please note that all of the works are for sale with a 60% commission going to the artist and the balance of the net proceeds going to the 'g' Foundation, which supports environmental education and renewable energy projects throughout our local Cape Cod community.  Please visit our Mashpee showroom to view the ReMade Invitational Exhibit through November 27, 2010.