Sara Waters

Bent Wire
found object, text, tea, plastic, colorants, rust
25 x 14 in.

From March 1 – May 31, 2001 I lived in Crookataing cottage, 2 miles from the village of Walls, west of the Mainland, on the Shetland Isles. The Imprint Project began in March 29. On my daily walks, I had collected a substantial number of abandoned objects and had begun to draw and trace them. Then (not liking the color of the paper) I poured tea on the paper and placed a glass on it to keep it submerged in the tea water. The next day the first imprint was discovered. I placed the rusted object on paper, poured tea, peat water or plain water over it and let it stand for 24 – 48 hours. The result was the “imprint” of the object, a documentation of its presence. Along with the imprint, I exhibit the found object with text that describes where the object was found and the incidentals of its discovery. I have continued making imprints from objects found on my walks in Indiana, California, South Texas and Lubbock.

© Sara Waters