Cutting Edge, Mottisfont

Another exhibition to see if you have the chance.

This one is at Mottisfont, near Romsey.  The grounds and the rose garden have been a big attraction for years, along with the ground floor of the house.  In the 20s and 30s the house welcomed numerous artists, whose work fills the ground floor.  In the past year the National Trust has opened the upper floor (formerly flats and offices) as a series of exhibition rooms, complementing the strong collection downstairs.

"Cutting Edge" is a show of six artists working with paper in one surprising way or another.

The hallway downstairs is hung from ceiling to floor with Eileen White's paper structures, "Come, Heavy Sleep" (named after the song by John Dowland); and the exhibition covers a complete range of size, right down to John Dilnot's tiny paper owls in miniature woodland scenes, and back up to Jonny Hannah's giant matches.  His roomful of vibrant Americana comes after the quietly bewitching and romantic papercuts by Rob Ryan (watch this interview at Printeresting), including a new piece, which is more enjoyable for sitting out from the wall very slightly.  Sally Sheinman's evolving project about human DNA invites the viewer's input.

Best of all is Ed Kluz:  his six "reliquaries" - crisp, clever paper models of pavilions and shrines, each in a glass cloche, clinging to paper rocks and surrounded by paper greenery and even paper water.  He is making the most of the structural qualities of different papers and cards, and the colours are rich like old toys.  They have a room to themselves, looking out over the lawns and woods around Mottisfont, a fitting setting for these mysterious old follies.

Cutting Edge

12th November 2011 - 29th January 2012

Mottisfont,

near Romsey,

Hampshire

Here is the National Trust's page for the exhibition.