Papercuts

July 1 through August 9, 2014

Robert L. Ringel Gallery, Stewart Center; Patti & Rusty Rueff Galleries, Pao Hall; Fountain Gallery, Lafayette

 

Born in Australia, France, Czech Republic, Canada, and the United States, the artists (Jaq Belcher, Béatrice Coron, Michelle Forsyth, Reni Gower, Lenka Konopasek, Lauren Scanlon, and Daniella Woolf) bring a broad range of international perspectives to the contemporary art of paper cutting. Using all manner of tools and paper, the artists create works that range from narrative commentaries to complex structural abstractions. Their works are bold contemporary statements that celebrate the subtle nuance of the artist's hand through a process that traces its origins to 6th century China. Light, shadow, and color play key roles, transforming this ancient technique into dynamic installations filled with delicate illusions.

Each artist contributes a unique sensibility within a complex (often installation based) construct that has hand cut paper at its core. Whether manifested as silhouettes, romanticized fictions, enigmatic reenactments, cryptic scripts, or poetic abstractions, the artists address historical, cultural, and personal identity. By encrypting their content through arduous and obsessive processes (cutting, rolling, punching, folding, pinning) these meditative works are charged with narrative, metaphor, and beauty.

Funding for this exhibition is made possible in part by the Alabama State Council on the Arts, the National Endowment for the Arts, the City of Mobile and Mobile County. The exhibition is also sponsored in part by VCUarts, School of the Arts at Virginia Commonwealth University.

The catalog for Papercuts may be purchased through the following link:  http://www.blurb.com/b/2542593-papercuts