William Underwood Eiland
Didi Dunphy Guest Curator and Program Supervisor Lyndon House Arts Center
Our curator, Didi Dunphy, and I have special fondness for works on paper. Invariably inventive, outspoken, expressive, the works she has chosen for this exhibition join affection for this medium to a profound respect and admiration for the artists themselves, who employ it and give it new power as an art form. They are undaunted in face of the complexities and unforgiving nature of paper as it is folded, torn, shaped, colored, and compressed. Its very fragility attracts them and becomes part of their statements, the intent that becomes meaning in the viewers’ regard. They are equally fearless in the messages they bring us, images of nostalgia for a past dependent on place and time as well as outrage over current discord and fragmentation. The art in this exhibition is in effect a celebration of the versatility and vitality of a relatively old material as well as a testament to its dimensionality, as abundantly evident here, no longer relegated solely to just two planes but to multiple ones. The staff of the Georgia Museum of Art and I acknowledge the curatorial genius of Didi Dunphy in reinvigorating our respect for the medium through her informed and careful selection of artists sensitive to the potential of paper and anxious to reinvent and reinterpret it. We are, of course, equally grateful to the artists themselves, who allow us to share their insights as well as their ingenuity, their delight in paper, and their emphasis on its various nature.
I have traveled across the state of Georgia, stepping into the different working environments where artists embark on the most amazing of endeavors. From a studio in a small second bedroom to a clean white cube, the talent in Georgia-based artists astounds. The second in the Highlighting Contemporary Art in Georgia series, Cut and Paste: Works of Paper examines ways in which working artists manipulate paper to create remarkable and varied works of art. From detailed hand cutting to mark making, draping and folding, casting and silhouettes, both wall-bound and sculptural reliefs consider current possibilities of paper and highlight artists using these magical techniques, leading viewers to suspend their belief of a material nature. My hope is that all enjoy the awe and amazement of the world of works on paper as well as the wonderful talents living in the state of Georgia. I have great joy working with Dr. Eiland and the staff at the Georgia Museum of Art, all of whom uplift this series of exhibitions as well as the valuable partnership this project provides the Lyndon House Arts Center. It is with much gratitude that I thank them for joining me on this adventure of celebrating working artists in our state.
Director
Georgia Museum of Art
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