There are so many examples of the myriad of ways that the simple sheet of paper has been manipulated and folded and cut etc. Not so many, however, whose work is actually built on the premise of actually fashioning the paper themselves in order to give meaning to their pieces. Such an example can be found in the work of Sussex-based artist Susan Cutts. All of the pieces featured above have been formed by Cutts' application of her own handmade paper-working process, working with raw fibres and fashioning them according to traditional European techniques. It is this complex structure of fibres that enables her to fashion these forms without the need for glue, stitching or armatures. What makes this process even more interesting, for me anyway, is that Cutts was a London College of Furniture graduate - don't you think that's just wild? For me, the way that a piece of furniture might be fashioned from some wood resonates so strongly with the building of a handmade paper mass that can be molded and formed into a dress! It's also interesting that dress is the central theme in her work - that it is a layer we employ in much the same way that the fibre layers construct a form, or identity. What I find particularly fascinating, though, is Cutts' investigation into how individual components lose their original identity once orchestrated and layered into a new form.
‘We shape the clothes we wear, making them as individual as a thumbprint and like a thumbprint they can expose and betray.’ (Susan Cutts)
It is this interplay between the wearer and the observer that intrigues Cutts and provides the impetus for this amazingly beautiful and exquisite work. You can find out more about Susan Cutts' work on her website. There's also a very informative biography of her work here. I found her via the wonderful Paper book.
