Cut Up/Cut Out is on view at Bellevue Arts Museum June 30 – October 22, 2017

Bellevue, WA—Cut Up/Cut Out, curated by Bedford Gallery of Walnut Creek, CA, will begin its national tour at Bellevue Arts Museum on June 30, 2017. The exhibition features cut and pierced artwork by more than 50 national and international artists. Using a variety of tools and methods, as well as materials from paper and plastic to metal and rubber, the artists of Cut Up/Cut Out explore the endless possibilities of cutting into and through their chosen surfaces. The transformative nature of this process creates extraordinary results, converting materials from opaque to transparent, from flat to sculptural, from rigid to delicate, and from ordinary to exquisite. The process and precision required for this method of art-making is laborious, technically demanding, and always astonishing.

The art of cutting paper dates back thousands of years, with early artworks coming from 6th century China. Originally a decorative handcraft for women, Chinese paper-cutting eventually expanded into rural areas, becoming a staple at religious ceremonies and festivals. By the 14th century, paper-cutting spread to the rest of the world, bringing in a new wave of folk art traditions. Cut Up/Cut Out honors both innovation and tradition with a selection of work representing diverse styles and techniques.

Cut Up/Cut Out features: James Allen (USA), Ana Bidart (Mexico), Lucrezia Bieler (Switzerland), Tord Boontje (UK), Nathalie Boutté (France), Claire Brewster (UK), Robert Brinker (USA), Rogan Brown (France), Sarah Burgess (USA), Michael Buscemi (USA), Charles Clary (USA), Adriane Colburn (USA), Wim Delvoye (UK), Lorenzo Durán (Spain), Mounir Fatmi (Morocco & France), Hillary Waters Fayle (USA), Adam Feibelman (USA), Carmen Lomas Garza (USA), Margaret Griffith (USA), Mayumi Hamanaka (USA), Adriene Heloise (USA), Meg Hitchcock (USA), Justine Khamara (Australia), Kyong Ae Kim (USA), Will Kurtz (USA), Lauren Kussro (USA), Cal Lane (Canada), Bovey Lee (USA), Simone Lourenco (USA), Karen Margolis (USA), Stefana McClure (USA), Chris Natrop (USA), Amy Oates (USA), Francesa Pastine (USA), Irène Pijoan (1953-2004), Nikki Rosato (USA), Donna Ruff (USA), Rob Ryan (UK), Lyndi Sales (South Africa), Gabriel Schama (USA), Brian Singer (USA), Andrew Singleton (UK), Xin Song (USA), Jen Stark (USA), Jana Syvänoja (Finland), Yuken Teruya (USA), Kako Ueda (USA), Annie Vought (USA), Mark Wagner (USA), Maude White (USA), Barbara Wildenboer (South Africa), Ty Zemelsky (USA)

Cut Up/Cut Out was organized by Carrie Lederer, Curator of Exhibitions, Bedford Gallery, Lesher Center for the Arts, Walnut Creek, CA.

ABOUT BELLEVUE ARTS MUSEUM

Bellevue Arts Museum is a leading destination in the Pacific Northwest to experience art, craft, and design. BAM engages the community through exhibitions, programs, and publications, featuring regional, national, and international artists. bellevuearts.org.

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