Exclusive sculptures made of paper that are not inferior in price to masterpieces of marble or bronze

2023 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-11-26 05:58

Art lovers have long been accustomed to the fact that if it is a sculpture, then it is necessarily bronze, marble, stone, ivory or clay. Therefore, such a concept as paper sculpture at least causes surprise and bewilderment among many. Today in our publication is a selection of amazing paper sculptures, which are really not inferior in price and quality, made of expensive materials.

It should be noted that mankind has been engaged in the creation of sculptures from a variety of materials since ancient times. We have survived stone products made in the days when people lived in caves and worshiped the forces of nature. Paper, being a relatively new material, has recently become available to the general public. And real sculptures from this material appeared only in the second half of the 20th century.

Nowadays, there are plenty of masters who are fond of paper sculpture. This type of creativity, also called paper plastic, is very attractive to artists. He has become a full-fledged part of contemporary fine art. When you first see sculptures made of paper of stunning quality, you involuntarily come to admiration. Moreover, first of all, it is not so much the forms of the perfect sculptures that are amazed, but the level of non-standard skill of the authors, their incredible patience, scrupulousness and hard work.

Paper sculptures by Patty and Allen Ekman

Talented American artists, the spouses Allen and Patty Eckman (Allen and Patty Eckman), work wonders from plain paper, turning it into incredibly realistic images. Their tandem, both in life and in work, was formed during their studies at the College of Arts in the direction of art design (Art Center College of Design). True, the couple initially owned an advertising business in Los Angeles for 12 years. But, tired of such routine work, they moved to Rapid City in South Dakota, where they began their creative career as a sculptor.

Since then, the couple of artists have been sculpting unusually precise and detailed sculptures that no one has been able to create before. They literally cast their works of art using the author's original artistic technique, which is based on paper and a method somewhat similar to the process of making sculptures from bronze.

The creation of sculptural compositions begins with the preparation of a 2-component paper pulp, which is poured into silicone molds, hand-made. Then in the forms the pulp is pressed using a vacuum press or manually. After drying, the hardened "casts" are rough blanks that bear no resemblance to finished sculptures. Only skilful hands of masters turn them into wonderful, real works of art. In appearance, the work of Allen and Patty is very similar to figurines carved from ivory. That is why their work is highly regarded in the art market.

It should also be noted that artists, working in one direction, create compositions and images based on their personal interests and hobbies. So, Allen prefers to work on the theme of the indigenous people of America - Indians, because his great-grandmother was from the Cherokee tribe. He is sincerely attracted by the identity, physical and spiritual culture of this tribe. Allen's wife, Patty, devotes her work to such topics as children, women, nature, which organically complements her husband's sculptural compositions.

All multi-figured compositions by Allen and Patty amaze with their expression and incredible realism.

Metamorphoses of paper sculptures by sculptor Li Hongbo

The modern Chinese designer and sculptor from Beijing Li Hongbo works in a very special technique. He creates sculptural images from paper that can be stretched and deformed like a spring. This unusual effect is created by gluing thousands of layers of paper in a special way. These unique works of art seem to be made from plaster or marble. But as soon as you touch them, the whole structure starts to move.

Everyone has probably already wondered: what is the secret of these amazing creations. All ingenious is simple. Li Hongbo borrowed the idea for his art from an ordinary paper Chinese lantern. The material for his work is paper, thousands of layers of which are glued to each other by densely superimposing them on top of each other in a specific order.

So, first, a block of 500 sheets is formed. The resulting paper blocks are then also joined together until the desired thickness is formed. Usually at least ten such blocks are needed for a sculptural bust.

And the resulting paper "monolith" Hongbo processes with ordinary devices and power tools, which are used by sculptors in the manufacture of their works from other materials. And, as the author himself says, in processing, a paper blank is like a soft stone.

As a result, paper copies of classical busts and sculptures by Li Hongbo "stretch", "blur" in space and seem eerily alive. Isn't it an amazing sight …

It is also worth noting that the original paper busts of the Chinese artist are very expensive. Their price is several tens of thousands of dollars each. As a rule, these are excellent copies of recognizable classical sculptures, which arouses particular interest in the work of the master. By the way, the Chinese sculptor with his unique works has already conquered more than one world capital, where exhibitions of his works were held.

Incredible 3D paper sculptures by Canadian Calvin Nicholls

Another of the famous artists who create their incredibly realistic works from plain paper is the Canadian sculptor Calvin Nicholls. He performs 3-D compositions depicting birds, animals and plants, using in addition to paper glue and a strong frame in the form of a frame to give his works a rigidity and 3-D effect.

The master creates multi-layered paper bas-reliefs that seem to be pulled out of a flat surface. Like a magician, he turns paper into realistic feathers and fur that you just want to stroke with your hand.

That is why Nicholls' unique sculptural paintings look incredibly alive and realistic. And it is difficult to even imagine how painstaking work it is, because according to the sculptor, it takes him from 2 months to 2 years to create one picture. Experts unanimously declare that the master's voluminous works are real contemporary art.

To create such a miracle, Calvin initially works on creating a drawing that is used as a "frame". Then, using a scalpel and scissors of various sizes, he cuts thin strips of paper and glues them in layers, which creates a relief effect. By the way, some of the artist's works reach two meters in length and 10 centimeters in thickness.

It is curious that the artist began experimenting with paper sculptures back in the mid-1980s. Success at exhibitions and the growing demand for his work later turned his hobby into a career. - says the master.

Today, Calvin Nicholls has many fans of his work. He is widely known among collectors who replenish their collections with his works of authorship, buying them for quite solid money. Also, the master's paper sculptures are exhibited in art galleries around the world.

You can see a more extensive gallery of unique author's sculptures by this master in our publication: 3D paper sculptures of animals and birds by Calvin Nicholls, striking in realism.

And, based on all of the above, I want to sincerely believe that works made of paper have a great future, because modern sculptors have learned to turn them into unique works of art, looking at which it is hard to believe that all these perfect creations are created from such a simple and fragile material.

The sculptor Jeff Nishinaka from Los Angeles creates true epic three-dimensional canvases from paper, consisting of many small details. You can see the gallery of his works of authorship in our publication: Sculptures by Jeff Nishinaki who are afraid of fire and wind.