Unlike other artists who work with paper, Velliquette’s cuts and curves are more spontaneous, allowing the placement of each piece to dictate his next move. One would hardly guess the method to this madness is not carefully calculated, as each finished piece seems almost perfectly placed, but Velliquette prefers each color and shape to inspire the next.
Using archival card stock in a rainbow of colors, Velliquette relies only on his meticulous cuts to transform the flat sheets of paper into textural components for his sculptures. Fine snips create furry, feather-like elements that the artist uses as ornamental details and longer pieces sprout out like whiskers from his mask-like sculptures. Short fringe is used to create husky texture, reminiscent of bark or rough fur. Velliquette also suggests volume, simply by curling contrasting colors of paper and arranging them in a line, which the viewer’s eyes seamlessly blend together, even though the actual mass is lacking.
Bending, folding, and rolling create visual trompe l’oiels that make each fleck of paper seem to be more than the delicate medium it is. Velliquette’s fine-tuned techniques transform normal paper into iconic deities and statuettes that appear rich and weighty.
+ Michael Velliquette
Via Frame Mag
