Artwork From A Single Sheet Of Paper

The internet never bores, every week I discover something amazing I wouldn’t know about otherwise. This week it is the artwork of Peter Callesen who creates paper figures from a single A4 sheet. He only uses a plain A4 white paper, something to cut it and glue. Some of the pieces are so incredible detailed you have to admire his talent and patience to create them.

Notice the detail of the skeletons face end how meticulous the the ribs are done? And this is one of the more “simple” pieces.

I find the A4 sheet of paper interesting to work with, because it is probably the most common and consumed media and format for carrying information today, and in that sense it is something very loaded. This means that we rarely notice the actual materiality of the A4 paper. By removing all the information and starting from scratch using the blank white 80gsm A4 paper as a base for my creations, I feel that I have found a material which we all are able to relate to, and at the same time is non-loaded and neutral and therefore easier to fill with different meanings. The thin white paper also gives the paper sculptures a fragility which underlines the tragic and romantic theme of the works.

I can’t even cut an A4 sheet of paper in a strait line, let alone to create something with it. Not only Callesen’s skill is amazing but his creativity. It’s like making a sculpture out of bronze, you only have one item to craft and rely completely on use of shadows, relief and texture.

The above piece, “Resurrection”, is a good example of using relief and textures to an optimum. And other pieces are so precise and anatomically correct it just doesn’t cease to amaze.

Check out more of Peter Callesen’s A4 papercuts. He has created several different art objects from these A4 papercuts, to large framed papercuts and ice sculptures.