I’ve been leaning more and more toward working in 3D/assemblage lately, even though it’s still early days and I’m still experimenting and haven’t really produced anything worthwhile (yet). So I’m finding Lisa Nilsson’s work especially inspiring right now.

I really like the Tissue Series, which are anatomical cross sections rendered in paper through the technique of quilling. I have vague memories of my mom doing quilling for a while when I was very young. I think she made some flowers and a 3D hollow Easter egg. It’s really interesting to see modern art made with the same technique.

Take a look at her website for some close-up shots where you can really see the detail!

I also love her Boxes series.  Such interesting arrangements of objects with different textures and colors. I’m a sucker for anything medical/science/natural history/wonder cabinet-related and these works fit right into that theme. It takes some serious skill to take a bunch of objects and put them in a box and have it all work together to mean something. It could all just be some stuff in a box, but it isn’t, and that’s the magic of works like this.