Peter and Paper

Holding on to Myself, 2006
47,5 x 37 x 7 cm
Acid-free A4 80 gms paper
Paper, glue, acrylic paint and oak frame

If you've been following this blog you'll know that I love paper. I love its tremendous versatility, its fragility and its strength. Peter Callesen has been one of my favourite paper sculptors for a long time. I discovered this Danish artist's work when reading about Goldsmiths' College, where we both studied, and being the ex-drama student-theatre buff that I am, was drawn to the tragi-comedy in his artpieces.

Cowboy, 2006

53 x 40,5 x 7 cm.

Acid Free A4 115 gsm paper, glue, acrylic paint and oak frame

As Peter writes "The paper cut sculptures explore the probable and magical transformation of the flat sheet of paper into figures that expand into the space surrounding them. The negative and absent 2 dimensional space left by the cut, points out the contrast to the 3 dimensional reality it creates, even though the figures still stick to their origin without the possibility of escaping. In that sense there is also an aspect of something tragic in many of the cuts".

Half Way Through (detail) , 2006

Bound To Be Free, 2008

37 x 47,5 x 7 cm.

Acid Free A4 115 gsm paper, glue, acrylic paint and oak frame

At once beautiful and slightly uncomforting, Peter's paper sculptures are meticulous, magical masterpieces made from a single sheet of paper. Pure poetry!

Down the River, 2005

Acid free A4 80 gsm paper and glue

Når alt kommer til alt (detail), 2006

7 m x 4,60 m x 0,9 m

Cut and folded from one piece of 350 gsm. paper

Transit 06, Charlottenborg Exhibition Hall, Copenhagen

On The Other Side, 2006

4,60 x 10 x 3,75 m

Cut and folded from one piece of 350 gsm paper

Wedgewood Commission, Nottingham Castle, UK