The First Cut

This week I got excited about paper. It really shouldn't come as such a shock as I usually go all gooey eyed when is comes to delicate paper crafts and have a stash of pretty parchment beneath my bed. A visit to Manchester City Gallery's exhibition 'The First Cut' left me completely inspired with the possibilities of the common article. The third floor exhibitions runs up until 27th January next year and attempts to explore new and creative ideas, but also traditional methods in which paper can be crafted. Large installations as well as delicate, miniature worlds are part of the main exhibition, with some pieces embedded into the core collections, making the simple material and it's intricate capabilities flow nicely throughout the whole gallery. Thirty one international artists showcase their work here, each bringing very different thoughts on the reinvention of the modest object. Some made use of the mundane office paper, other artists recycling food packaging. 

 Yuken Teruya does exactly that, and in the above piece of work he makes use of a burger king bag, commenting on consumerism and our impact on the environment. Chris Kenny similarly collects pieces to use in his works, presented on pins, in the same way as a scrap book of memorabilia but right in front of you.
I HAD to buy the book of the exhibition, and it has come in handy here to show you a few pieces which I didn't get a snap of then and there.

Another artist that uses recycled materials is Manabu Hangai, who mainly transforms discarded hosojuzomo seaweed into paper, which he uses for the leaves in his walk through installation 'Wonder Forest'.  The suspended branches attempts to transform 'rubbish' into things of beauty, to compensate for the loss of forests.
        Here are a few other photographs that I took, and also some photos of the beautiful book (made of specialist papers, no less). Oh and I was unable to get a snap of Peter Callesan's work, who exquisitely crafts the sweetest little scenes from just a single sheet of A4. Seriously, check his stuff out. Ow.