Pukaar Magazine’s Jennifer Morris speaks to Leicestershire artist Danielle Vaughan about her striking work with the unusual medium of ripped paper.
A recently elected member of the Leicester Society of Artists, Danielle Vaughan cleverly combines her love of recycling with her passion for art using waste materials as her medium of choice, primarily ripped paper.
Through this somewhat alternative art form, Danielle reimagines the pages of glossy magazines, using colour and pattern to create arresting images that demand attention.
Aside from environmental benefits, the practice of using recycled material is one Danielle prefers to more traditional methods: “I have done some painting and to me, my painting is flat. Working with ripped paper gives you depth.
“And if you buy a canvas, and buy paint and brushes, you then have to produce a masterpiece. If you’re using waste materials, you can put it on the compost heap if you don’t like it and just starts again.”
As with any art form, the method also acts as a means of expression for the artist. In Danielle’s case the use of text adds deeper layers to her work, sometimes by chance, sometimes with intent:
“I quite like the random aspect. I look for colour and pattern so at the end, when you do inspect it, you see the happy coincidences in there which can be quite fun.
“Other times it’s deliberate, like vegetarian recipes around a picture of a cow, that sort of thing. Whereas I might not necessarily be a vocal person, that’s my way of having a voice.”
In her latest collection of work, Danielle pays homage to some of the most prized faces and places of her home city of Leicester, a project inspired by a will to continue the momentum of LCFC’s Premier League triumph:
“I could see it was starting to wane. I was there on London Road with the parade and then it seemed to go quiet, and I thought, it shouldn’t be going quiet, we should be continuing this.”
The collection contains images of some of the city’s most notable landmarks including Jewry Wall and the National Space Centre, and a selection of some of its best-known people such as Richard III, Jamie Vardy, members of Kasabian and a prized portrait of Claudio Ranieri, signed by the man himself.
Danielle’s latest Leicester face was a commissioned portrait of the city’s revered playwright, Joe Orton, with 2017 marking 50 years since his tragic death.
With many of her works already displayed at venues across the city, Danielle hopes to secure a regular exhibition spot with a local gallery soon. In the meantime, her collection can be viewed online, along with details of upcoming exhibitions, at www.dvaughangallery.com
