At a glance on paper cutting

I consider myself a paper-cutting artist. My activity is to create images with the technique of paper cutting.

I discovered this art in Switzerland in the Decoupage Museum of Château-d'Oex. This corresponds to a folk tradition of narration in the image appeared in this very alpine region in the 19th century. I immediately fell in love, I started this art and have not stopped since.

In French, we say "découpage" to designate this art. However, in German, the word "Scherenschnitt" is more pictorial since it includes the word "scissors". It’s a shame that the link to the tool has disappeared in the translation. Scissors are my favorite tool even if I also use the cutter.

So I say to myself "cutter" in the filiation of the Swiss artusts of the "découpage". I create images inspired by popular imagery on the one hand and the retechnique of portrait-silhouette on the other, which allows me to meet people. These are two different approaches. In the portrait-silhouette technique, work is very fast in a few minutes. In the workshop I draw in an extremely natural, personal and subjective way. The images are in 2D, a bit like children’s images. It is a work that takes more time.

I cut a single sheet with the cutter, I use black paper all the time. I like the idea that it’s just the carving gesture that tells something. This gesture goes towards the narration or representation. The patterns can be abstract and made to order. Like any artist or craftsman, I prepare sketches before I start creating.

I draw my subject on the back of the white side; I make an extremely coarse sketch at first to take a picture in the right direction and then draw it upside down. The subject is therefore a mirror of what I decided to do as a sketch. As with all the embroiderers and lithographers, we know what we want to achieve. It is a gymnastics of the mind.

 .I like to draw a small urban scene with shops and their signs written in mirror. I overturn the image by drawing it with all its details. In this image, everything is in place; for example, if there is a bird in the sky, its wing will touch a tree branch or cloud. The characters have their feet on the ground, the furniture is laid out on the floor. It’s a bit like a dollhouse. You can’t add anything. That’s the challenge. 

Everything is already in the sheet, we just remove. I never glue. My main gesture is to remove material.

It is a fairly popular art in Switzerland. People know me and want to try this technique. I do training and I take the opportunity to tell the story of the diifférentes facets of paper cut in Europe and make known the artists of cutting.