Art Fest – Paper Cutting
Tough week — trying to get ready for a potential media blitz and possible TV spot so there was no time for me to write in advance of a post today like I wanted.
Except to say, I saw two very interesting artists at the Old Town Alexandria Arts Festival last weekend who stood out among the rest. This is a two part series to profile them in each post.
Part 1:
Jupi T. Das‘ exquisite, labor intensive and creative papercut art. Here are excerpts from her artist’s statement, and what I like is noted in teal:
All the paper cuttings of this site are artist’s self-creation. Each of them are hand cut one at a time. No commercial reproduction procedures are used for mass production…The art of paper cutting is a process of hand cutting a single piece of paper and turning them into a beautiful design is the soul of my work….
It is my hope that others will see the influence of different cultural elements in my artwork and realize the connection between a dying art and my creativity and enjoying it visually. I create, so that the energy and the enthusiasm that I put into each piece will bring as much joy to people as the process of creating them brings joy to my life….As a full time artist my goal is to breathe life into this dying art and inspire others to create.
OK, I like a lot, for this is art you can savor. Folk art silhouettes that tell a cultural story. I truly appreciate the intricacy and time it takes to be so precise in one’s work. Giving a dying art the credit where it is due is more than admirable. She gives a wonderful accounting of the history of papercutting. Having an art history background, I find this fantastic and I learned a lot. Clicking on her video will give you an intimate inside look to her process, execution and the talent of her work as well as its importance. I am particularly fond of the butterfly papercutting. Of course it was one of the highlights in her display and costs the most. What can I say?…She said, when I asked her how long it took typically to complete. She said she could do one or two of this size a year. It all depends on the intricacy and the size. Notice she adds color to some of her papercuttings, which make them even more unusual and striking.
Echo & the Bunnymen, The Cutter, is a classic with a little subtle Indian sitar within (if you listen for it) to Kick Start the Weekend.
casart
I'm an artist, wife and mother of two boys. I started my illustration business, The Occasional Palette over 35 years ago, when my oldest son was an infant. Once my children were in school, I began painting decorative, faux finishes and murals through my second business, Casart, now over 30 years old. My third business, Casart Coverings, is a springboard from my second. Click on the link on the sidebar to see innovative, custom, designer wallcovering, removable and reusable wallpaper and coordinating decor.
