CUT PAPER: One-Offs

A Delicate Balance, 2012

Barnacles live in tidal waters throughout the world. Regarded as a delicacy in some cultures, they are grown in colonies. They are also bio-fouling organisms. Excessive accumulations on the hulls of ships cause material damage and governments spend billions curtailing their growth.

Created for Growth, a juried show addressing culture and the environment, A Delicate Balance looks at the dual nature of barnacles. The shape of the barnacle’s shell is similar to that of a rose. In A Delicate Balance, a cascade of hand-cut, petal-like forms spills into the room. The intricately cut end is at once beautiful and imminently fragile: is this good, like a trellis of roses, or more sinister, like an overgrowth of barnacles? When does too much of a good thing become too much?

Medusa

Medusa, 2012

Medusa recalls tendril-like forms from land and sea.

Centerpiece (Chrysanthemum), 2011

Recalling once-formal table settings of lace and damask, Centerpiece (Chrysanthemum) evokes memories of childhood, grandmothers and propriety.

For me, floral patterns on textiles bring to mind Ottoman-era arts. The 16th c. Court Style effected the direction of decorative arts. By means of portable works and pattern books, it spread to cities and villages in Anatolia. Via travelers, diplomats and trade, it migrated to Europe where a dialogue between artistic traditions took place.

Untitled Landscape

Untitled Landscape, 2010

Punctuated by various shapes and clusters of cuts, Untitled Landscape is inspired by aerial views of Iceland’s topography.

In the collection of Fidelity Investments.

TJ's

© 2016 Helga Felleisen

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