Paper Art in Manchester |

Holiday-time! A good excuse to catch up with all the creativity on show in galleries. On a recent trip to Manchester Art Gallery, we came upon The First Cut – an extensive, multi-venue exhibition based around paper as a medium. 31 international artists had come together to cut, sculpt & manipulate paper into artworks of every size.

The large, gently spinning, hanging forest (above) was made by Japanese artist Manabu Hangai from seaweed paper and Mancunian branches. You could walk through it, as it spun slowly. This teeny-tiny scene (above) was meticulously constructed by artist, Sarah Bridgland from chopped up vintage packaging.

Abigail Reynolds had some really interesting prints, which brought together the patterns found on marbled paper, (inspired by handmade, book endpapers) with enigmatic imagery such as the Brimham Rocks, Yorkshire.

Maps and atlases had inspired many, and also nice, vintage reference books, here used as raw material, by Chris Kenny (above).

These new, varnished contours were imposed upon paper maps by Susan Stockwell who turned them into life-size historical dresses. She also fashioned dresses from bank notes, (below) displaying them appropriately in the second venue, the beautiful, Georgian Gallery of Costume.
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