Monday, November 10, 2008

Field Trip!


Today Kay and I took a field trip to the Georgia Tech Institute of Paper Science and
Tech-nology to see the current exhibit "Cutting Fine, Cutting Deep: Cut Paper Works from Switzerland and North America".

Since the exhibit closes this Friday, I won't link but here's a bit from the exhibit description:

introduces audiences to environmentally focused cut paper art. The exhibition includes works from artists of the Swiss Scherenschnitt (scissor cutting) tradition, along with contemporary artists working in North America. Visitors will see silhouettes, dioramas, paper lacework, pop-up drawings, and complex symmetrical designs.

We both had a great time and were amazed at the work exhibited. The tiny images I'm able to post here cannot convey the beauty and intricacy of the work. This one is by Ueli Hofer.

We saw some very traditional Swiss scherenschnitt by Beatrice Straubhaar,

some intricately colored pieces by Elisabeth Bottesi-Fischer (her work is shown on the sign out front), and some intensely lacy pieces by Ernst Oppliger.

Many of these artists can be seen in this YouTube video (but be forewarned; there is a very intense yodeling soundtrack!!)

(also click on my pictures to see the details larger)

In addition to the exhibit, we toured the permanent exhibit on the evolution of papermaking and viewed the Dard Hunter collection. Hunter practiced "the creed of the Arts and Crafts Movement, whose proponents believed that a hand-crafted object was inherently more desirable, beautiful, serviceable, and worthy of human endeavor than anything made by machine". Amen.

It was a lovely fall day made even better by getting to spend time with a good friend.

3 comments:

Sheri said...

Wow! So much tiny detail. They must have really good eyes.
Sheri in GA

Mary said...

Those are some fancy paper dolls! Beautiful and amazing. (I can't get that yodeling out of my head!)

Hege said...

Thank you so much for your kind comment on my scarf! That was very sweet of you :)
I had no idea that GATech had a paper museum! (We moved from Atlanta a couple of years ago) Those are amazing scherenschnitte. Such patience. Thanks for the peek.