Mary Button Durell, a San Francisco based artist, creates translucent and abstract sculptures using only a single material which is handmade by layering sheets of tracing paper and wheat paste. Mary’s work is medium-centric and process-oriented allowing for unique shapes and forms to emerge out of a temporal engagement with her materials.  

For more than 20 years, Mary has explored the nuances and intricacies of paper and light, and continues to experiment with her medium and its visual capacity for transformation. In her most current work, Mary has introduced color in various formats from paint to acetate. Her delicate and complex sculptures are reminiscent of cocoons, bee hives, and underwater organisms. In addition, the translucent quality of the paper adds another dimension to the pieces.

Working with limited materials in the pursuit of the properties of light and translucency, predominant motifs emerge in the shape of biomorphic forms, layering and patterns that recall the infinite organic fabrics that make up the natural world—from the ethereal and cosmic (constellations, galaxies, asteroids) to the microcosmic (cellular fibers, molecular structures). In this way, Mary’s art practice aims to reconfigure the complexity of the universe into simple materials.