Exhibition a Space Odyssey in 2007, Weekend Gallery

Ferry Staverman, 2007-07

Collection of the artist; courtesy of Bram van Gelderen, Bauke Broersma, and Teun Renes.

Photo:  Ferry Staverman

 Paper as you have never seen it before.

Slash: Paper Under the Knife explores the international phenomenon of cut paper in contemporary art—showcasing the work of artists who reach beyond the traditional role of paper as a neutral surface to consider its potential as a medium for provocative, expressive, and visually striking sculpture, installation, and video animation.

“Despite the many new materials and technologies available to artists working today, more and more artists are turning back to age-old materials like paper to really push new boundaries in art,” said Holly Hotchner, Director of the Museum of Arts & Design, New York. “The artists in this exhibition do not just see paper as a work surface. They’ve considered paper’s inherent properties and devised ways of transforming this ubiquitous material into extraordinary sculptures, room-sized installations, and animations. I think our visitors will be surprised and delighted by what can be done with paper.”

The processes and techniques used in these investigations include burning, tearing, perforating, and shredding paper as well as cutting with knives, scissors, and lasers. Some artists work slowly, cutting intricate designs with painstaking patience, while others slash and crumple paper in a very physical way, engaging their bodies in dramatic motion.

“Looking at traditional mediums and techniques through the lens of contemporary art, Slash showcases artists whose works surprise for their complexity and content, and not just for their technical virtuosity,” states MAD Museum’s Chief Curator David Revere McFadden. “Slash takes the pulse of the international art world's renewed interest in paper as a creative medium and source of artistic inspiration. The exhibition places this phenomenon in a global context, including work by artists from 16 countries and representing five continents.”

Organized thematically, the exhibition includes the following seven groupings:

Cutting as Gesture: Drawing with the Knife - The artists in this section, most of whom come to paper after working in painting, drawing, and engraving, seize upon paper cutting as a means of making drawings three-dimensional.

Structure and Space: Slicing Architecture - Paper has long been used to make models and architectural maquettes. This section features works that explore new possibilities in the interrelationship between flat paper, three-dimensional space, and the built environment.

Cutting as Topography: Exploring Landscape - Paper is cut and altered to explore landscapes, both real and imagined, making dimensional maps of real and imaginary places.

Corporeal Concerns: Revealing the Body - Paper is explored as a metaphor for human skin.

Dissecting the Past: Myths and Memories – Here paper is explored as it has been used as the record of human interaction. Paper documents such as letters, receipts, ticket stubs, Post-It notes are utilized as raw material and transformed into pieces of art. Their prior usage serves to heighten the inherent meaning and emotional power of the piece.

Shredding the Word: Books and Language - The artists in this section respond to paper as a carrier of the written word, turning them into delicate and fragile three-dimensional dreamscapes.

The Moving Image: Paper and Action – This section showcases a series of films that use paper silhouettes and stop action photography.

Slash is the third exhibition in MAD's Materials and Process series, which examines the renaissance of traditional handcraft materials and techniques in contemporary art and design. Previous installments in the series include Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting (2007) and Pricked: Extreme Embroidery (2008).