12 Artists Will Create Site-Specific Works in Galleries and in MAD's Open Studios Allowing Public to Watch Fabrication and Installation Process

"Slash: Paper Under the Knife" explores the international phenomenon of cut paper in contemporary art—showcasing the work of artists who reach beyond the traditional role of paper as a neutral surface to consider its potential as a medium for provocative, expressive, and visually striking sculpture, installation, and video animation. Organized by the Museum of Arts and Design, Slash features work by approximately 50 contemporary artists from sixteen countries, including Thomas Demand, Olafur Eliasson, Tom Friedman, Nina Katchadourian, Judy Pfaff, and Kara Walker, among others. On view from October 7, 2009, through April 4, 2010, the exhibition will also feature 12 new site-specific commissions and installations. Visitors will be able to watch the creative process during the first week of the exhibition, as select artists create new commissions in MAD’s open studios and assemble and install their work in the galleries.

Curated by the Museum’s Chief Curator, David Revere McFadden, Slash is the third exhibition in MAD's Materials and Process series, which examines the renaissance of traditional handcraft materials and techniques in contemporary art and design. Previous installments in the series include Radical Lace and Subversive Knitting (2007) and Pricked: Extreme Embroidery (2008). Slash: Paper under the Knife is made possible by Kate’s Paperie. Generous additional support is provided by the Angelica Berrie Foundation.

“Despite the many new materials and technologies available to artists working today, we are seeing a wonderful trend in which more and more artists are turning back to age-old materials like paper to really push new boundaries in art,” said Holly Hotchner, the Nanette L. Laitman Director of the Museum. “The artists in this exhibition do not just see paper as a work surface. They’ve considered paper’s inherent properties and devised ways of transforming this ubiquitous material into extraordinary sculptures, room-sized installations, and animations. I think our visitors will be surprised and delighted by what can be done with paper.”

Slash presents a range of subjects that artists across the world are exploring through cut paper, such as landscape, the human body, architecture, politics, and language. The processes and techniques used in these investigations include burning, tearing, perforating, and shredding paper as well as cutting with knives, scissors, and lasers. Some artists work slowly, cutting intricate designs with painstaking patience, while others slash and crumple with performative energy.

“Looking at traditional mediums and techniques through the lens of contemporary art, Slash showcases artists whose works surprise for their complexity and content, and not just for their technical virtuosity,” states McFadden. “Slash takes the pulse of the international art world's renewed interest in paper as a creative medium and source of artistic inspiration. The exhibition places this phenomenon in a global context, including work by artists from 16 countries and representing five continents.”

Images from above:
Ariana Boussard- Reifel, Between the Lines, 2007. Collection of the artist Photo: Ariana Boussard-Reifel
Noriko Ambe, Flat File Globe 3A Red version, 2007. Courtesy of the artist. Photo Masahiro Noguchi
Béatrice Coron, WaterCity, 2005. Collection of the artist. Photo: Antoine Tempé
Olafur Eliasson, Your House, 2006. Courtesy of Tanya Bonakdar Gallery
Andreas Kocks, Andreas Kocks Paperwork #701G (in the beginning), 2007. Christoph Knoch
Andrew Scott Ross, Rocks and Rocks and Caves and Dreams, 2007-08. Collection of the artist. Photo Vanessa Mayoraz
Georgia Russell, The Story of Art, 2006. Courtesy of England & Co. Photo England & Co Gallery, London