Paper Cutting: Contemporary Artists, Timeless Craft

Edited by Laura Heyenga
Chronicle Books (2011)
ISBN 9780811874526
Reviewed by April Sullivan for Reader Views (6/11)

What would you do with a plain piece of paper, an old book or magazine, or a discarded fast food bag?  Probably nothing too exciting. But dive into the world of paper cutting and see the imaginative ways contemporary artists from around the world are cutting and transforming simple items such as these into amazing works of art.

The book “Paper Cutting” introduces you to 26 artists all currently working as paper cutting artists from all parts of the globe. All use essentially the same simple tools - a knife or scissors and paper. It is the tool of imagination that makes each artist so different and the end results so varied.

As an art book, the reader should expect more art than writing, which I find refreshing. The words are sparse in this book, but so concise and well written that no more are needed. The Introduction by Natalie Avella takes the reader through the history of paper and the emergence of paper cutting as an art form. She then brings it to the present by discussing the contemporary phenomenon of this craft and the role the artists featured in this book play in the expansion of this medium as it blows off the page and into major exhibitions worldwide.

No art book would be complete without images. And the images are what make this book spectacular. Paper cuts are intricate “two and a half” dimensional pieces as artist Kako Ueda puts it. I imagine they are difficult to photograph. The photographs used in this book were submitted by the artists themselves and various galleries and art directors, as seen on the Image Credits page. Editor Laura Heyenga did a great job compiling them and choosing images that really highlight the work.

The layout and design of the book is simple and clean with as much attention to detail as the art it represents. Works of art dedicated to paper, portrayed on paper is done so with the highest level of respect to the medium. The book itself is a work of art that I will treasure on my bookshelf.

I recommend “Paper Cutting” to any artist or art lover interested in imaginative, exceptionally crafted art. When I first started looking at the book I got a few pages in and was so inspired that I immediately put it down and pulled out my sketchbook. After I got that out of my system, I opened it again and skipped all the words and examined each work of art. Then I started at the beginning and read the book and as each artist was mentioned in the introduction I would flip to their section to remind myself of their style. Finally I went through each artist again; then reread the introduction. “Paper Cutting” is a treat for the eyes and an inspiration to the mind. I loved it!

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