The crafted object : Andy Singleton – papercuts

You KNOW I love a great papercut. Andy Singleton produces remarkable things out of his studio in Wakefield, England.

His large-scale paper sculptures are breathtaking and awe-inspiring, not only for their beauty, but also for their scale, their technical skill, and their subject matter (Eagle Nebula anyone?).

 

 

What I find fascinating are his methods in putting these huge pieces together – more than just slicing into a bit of paper with an exacto, Andy has to figure out how to best hold large pieces of this delicate and flimsy material in its place, without destroying its visual integrity. So he also has to build frames with wood, using pins, glue, and wire as part of his repertoire.  I encourage you to check out this video of him installing his Ice Sculpture at Manchester Art Gallery last year. The piece was commissioned by the MAG to complement their exhibition, The First Cut, and is inspired by ice formations such as icicles, ice caverns and frozen water falls.

 

 

One of the most exciting projects he has worked on recently was for Kensington Palace, where he was asked to make some installations for display cabinets as part of an exhibition there titled Victoria Revealed. One cabinet housed Queen Victoria’s original wedding dress and the other her mourning dress, along with mourning outfits worn by Princess Beatrice and Prince Leopold.

 

 

 

Another wonderful installation is a series of pieces he did for Liberty London to celebrate the opening of their stationery room. Commissioned by the Crafts Council, the work is a celebration of all things stationery, and builds on Liberty’s history as a supporter of excellence in design and craftsmanship.