Whenever we post a preview for a group art exhibit, I try to mix it up and get some variety in there. The majority of the time, we end up dealing with shows where the curators have gone out of their way to pull in artists that deal with varying mediums and aesthetics. Ideally, we’ll have access to enough select images for works that reflect that diversity prior to the openings, so that we’re in the position to post something appropriately representative of it. That being said, the honest truth is that, if I come across a number of pieces within the same medium that I like substantially more, then I’ll simply post those anyway, and sacrifice variety. One thing that has become fairly standard, however, is that, if there’s a paper cut work, it’s being included just about every time.

The number of contributions that we’ve seen in the paper art field–whether they involve cuts, layering, quilling, any combination therein, or something completely left field–have continued to increase and it’s a movement that I enthusiastically welcome more of. The focus, vision, and precision that it takes to pull off some of these works is nothing short of mind boggling. What’s encouraging to me is not only to see more and more artists in the field represented, but more and more styles, and techniques employed, effectively functioning as a display of how limitless this art form and its potential really is. Tomorrow night, May 3rd 2014, San Francisco‘s Spoke Art gallery hosts an opening for a brand new group show titled Paper Cuts, which features a selection of 11 highly talented artists in the paper art field that embodies the remarkable skill and versatility currently being generated through this craft.

Here’s a more detailed breakdown, courtesy of the press release…

Spoke Art is pleased to present Paper Cuts, a group show featuring eleven dynamic paper-cut artists from around the globe. Showcasing a versatile range of artists working exclusively in paper, the exhibition explores the different ways in which each artist handles the medium.

Simplistic in form, paper can be transformed in many ways, from abstracted structures to figurative illustrations, making it unique in it’s execution while remaining simplistic in it’s base material. Largely seen as a style of craft art, Paper Cuts seeks to investigate the intersection between fine art and crafts.

Paper serves as a kind of nostalgic vehicle, transporting oneself back to an era of craft time and hands-on art making, akin to finger painting. This kind of primal activity is carried over into the works of these fine artists with incredible precision and elegance. Using a medium so minimal, paper grants a kind of boundless potential in it’s ability to transform. In order to gain form and subject, the artist is forced to destroy or rather subtract in order to generate their art, a kind of reverse process for most artists. Elements of light, shadow and color all play immense roles in the manifestation of the work. Artists such as Hari & Deepti play with ideas of space and depth in their meticulously layered light boxes while the works of Meghan Stratman gravitate towards a more illustrative approach.

One thing is universally true for all the artists, paper cutting is a testament to patience as all the works require a strategic mind and focused ambition that other mediums don’t necessarily require. Mapping out paper and structuring it to your needs takes not only time but incredible endurance. The intensely ornate works of Elaine Penwell are proof of such self restraint. Paper Cuts strives to not only survey these contrasting artists but also analyze the enigmatic art of paper cutting as a whole

ARTIST LIST:

Megan Stratman, Hari & Deepti, Ryan De La Hoz, Kevin Jay Stanton, Elaine Penwell, Sarah Dennis, Yulia Brodskaya, Charles Clary, Crowded Teeth and Dan Jaffe

Check out some preview images below the following event details…

WHAT:

Spoke Art Presents
“Papercuts”
A group show dedicated to medium of paper

WHEN:

Opening:
Saturday, May 3rd
6pm-9pm

WHERE:

Spoke Art Gallery
816 Sutter St.
San Francisco, CA 94109

ADDITIONAL INFO:

Opening is ALL AGES w/NO COVER
Artists will be in attendance
Show on view until Saturday, May 24, 2014
Facebook Event Page: https://www.facebook.com/events/696267927098462/

[click images to enlarge]