About LoisCordelia.com
This website represents an online portfolio and
art gallery, featuring a selection of works by
artist Lois Cordelia Buelow-Osborne.
Artist Statement - July 2008
At time of
writing, I am preparing to hold a solo exhibition
of silhouette art, The
Burning Bush, in Ipswich. See under Reviews for further details.
Silhouette art has been a part of my
life since childhood, when I used to watch my
mother cutting out Scherenschnitte
(literally: scissor-cuts) in the traditional
methods of her German homeland. I loved the stark
simplicity, black and white contrasts, and
precision of the technique, which appealed to the
perfectionist in me.
I prefer to use a scalpel rather than scissors,
because I feel it gives more control in pushing
back the limits of this folk-art tradition,
allowing for greater expressiveness and intricacy
of perforation. I rarely create pure
"silhouettes" in the true sense of the
word, but the paper-cut continues to form the
outline of the image, sometimes in the same way
as the leading defines the pattern of shapes in a
stained glass window. The technique could also be
described as “paper sculpture”, in that
shapes are cut away to reveal the image below,
often leaving no more than a spidery web of very
fine, interconnected strands, a little thicker
than pencil lines.
Performing a live demonstration of the silhouette
cutting process. July 2008. Photograph by Erika
Buelow-Osborne
Standing beside a couple of my silhouettes strung
up on a line to let the light shine through. July
2008.
I chose the title "The Burning Bush"
because so many of the pieces are inspired by
fiery or spiritual themes: the fierce intensity
of a dragon, the flame colour of Autumn leaves,
the phoenix bird reborn from its own ashes to
symbolise the immortal soul. I enjoy working in
diverse styles, but always incorporating elements
of fluidity, dance and energy. I like to balance
the precise cut of the blade with a much freer
flowing line, and so I will often do a very
rough, scribbled sketch which I then proceed to
cut out with the precision of a design.
I was born in Ipswich in 1982 and attended
Northgate High School, where my A-level Art
teacher Mr Emery was a great inspiration,
constantly challenging me with new ideas. I have
also spent long periods working in London with
artist and illustrator Jan Pienkowski, whose
books for children often feature silhouettes. In
recent years, I attended Edinburgh University to
study Arabic - an apparently unrelated choice of
degree subject, but one which held a deep
fascination for me because of the graceful,
flowing lines of the script. I also relished the
challenge of learning a complex and beautiful
language, with the opportunity to visit parts of
the Middle East.
Since graduating in 2006, I have renewed my focus
on the visual arts by holding a number of solo
exhibitions in Edinburgh. In addition to
silhouette art, these have featured a wide
variety of media and styles, including portraits
in acrylics and pastels, wildlife art,
still-lifes, t-shirt designs, and sculpture. Now
based once again in Ipswich, I am currently
focussing on silhouette art and look forward to
presenting this exhibition as a showcase of my
recent work.
Cutting
out the middle layer of a three dimensional
silhouette, using a scalpel. The finished piece
can be viewed here. Summer 2007.
Photograph by Erika Buelow-Osborne.
Sketching
on location at the Temple Church, London, October
2006. Photograph by Mukul Kumar
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