Biography

 

 

Chertoff is a graduate of Brooklyn’s prestigious Pratt Institute. She describes her (Washi) handmade paper assemblages as “tapestries.” Layered and textured, they are pure assimilation of Japanese aesthetics. The pieces range in size from 4x6 inches to six feet; they are hand-dyed fiber, poured, and laminated onto flexible screens. This unique technique permits the interplay of space, light, and fiber. Inclusions reflect Byzantine coin transfers and architectural elements that are drawn and gold-leafed. Her work with its Asian and Euro-Western influences is decidedly Pacific Rim. Her pieces are found in the private collections of George and Dorothy Saxe, Proctor and Gamble, the Oakland Museum, and Paramount Pictures, as well as leading craft galleries across the United States.

 

 

Please be assured that each piece of artwork submitted is totally uniquely original, taken from my own personal designs. Words such as laminated onto flexible screens are just terms to describe part of a process in creating an original work of art. There are over fifteen steps in creating the work.

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1. The fiber Kozo is processed by hand cooked in a caustic soda to release impurities in the fiber

2. The Abaca a banana leaf fiber is put in a large beater and beaten

3. Both fibers are dyed and pigmented

4. Next, a fiberglass screen is cut to an exact dimension

5. A chemical formation aid is added to the colored pulp fiber

6. Colors are mixed in 5-gallon buckets

7. The fiberglass screen is put on top of another screen

8. Pulp is diluted and poured in layers for the desired color and or texture

9. Next, the images such as the birds are original and hand-drawn

10. They are cut out with a backing of heat-sensitive paper

11. The images are rolled by hand with an ink

12. The images are gilded with 23 Karat gold

13. The images are drawn through the gold to create the contour and texture of the image

14. The images are arranged on the fiberglass screen

15. The images are heat activated and are glued to the fiberglass surface

16. Layers of thin pulp are integrated into the design creating depth and mystery

17. The work is sealed and protected with a Krylon Spray