“Fold, Cut, Tear” – Paper Art from Saint Peter School
The possibilities of paper as an art medium is the focus of the current show in the Young Artists Gallery at Hill Center. Esther Probst’s students at Saint Peter School (422 3rd St SE) have created dazzling work using only paper – folded, cut or torn – and glue.
Students in the 5th, 7th, and 8th grades read Beautiful Blackbird, an adaption of a tale from the Ila-speaking people of Zambia, and winner of a Coretta Scott King award. Author Ashley Bryan used only paper, and her grandmother’s scissors to create the illustrations for the book. Ms. Probst likes to “give the students an artist inspiration,” in this case Henri Matisse’s technique of drawing with scissors, and then “get out of their way.” The results are a delight to the eye, every bit as varied as the artists who made them. Some have a slightly ominous quality; others are light-hearted and playful.
Continuing the exploration of paper manipulation, students in 4th and 6th grades experimented with folding techniques, producing pulsating, radial designs. The layering of the paper gives the work a three-dimensional, textured quality, not always expected of paper. The 1st graders developed imaginative torn-paper landscapes inspired, in part, by the Gees Bend quilts. More than one remarked “I really enjoy tearing paper!” Their joy infuses each piece.
Ms. Probst is “excited to present a collection of vibrant and creative artworks” and hopes you will “enjoy the dedication behind each piece.” Although the show can be enjoyed virtually in the on-line gallery, it’s worth a trip to see it in person. The subtleties are too easily missed on a computer screen. The show will hang through the middle of June.
If your Capitol-Hill-based school or youth art program would be interested in having a show in the Young Artists Gallery, please email [email protected] with ‘YAG’ plus the name of your organization in the subject line.
