You got my best side, right?
I love the come back of silhouettes as an art form. They go back to my childhood years when my mum had one made of my profile in the most perfectly coiffed ponytail. And lately I've been aching to get it from her (do you hear that, mum, it's been like six months - put it in the mail, please).
In the meantime, and in my impatience to have one in my gallery, I may have to get resourceful and have one made at Cut Arts. Really lovely silhouette pictures created by third generation silhouette artist Karl Johnson. Authentic, true silhouette cutting is an extremely rare art form (not the new digital version you see around these days), but Karl still practices this all but lost form of portraiture. I won't be getting one made of my profile necessarily, but Coop's got a really nice, dignified schnoz for this kind of portrait.
You simply submit a photograph of anything you like and each silhouette is cut out entirely freehand by Karl in the exact likeness out of black paper. Your best side captured, and no retouching involved! Think of the fabulousness!
8 comments:
It's so fun that this old portrait style is making a big comeback! Love all your examples!
I loved the one with the dog at the womans feet. Its fun to see the silhouettes done in color too.
These are so classy! My grandmother used to have her entire bathroom done in silhouettes and I not only think they are terrific, but there's also the sentimental link now that she's gone. Karl has singlehandedly brought refreshed acclaim to this dying tradition. His work is tops! I'd love to see the silhouette you commission form him.....
Oh, I had forgotten how much I use to love these in grade school. I love the contrasting colors when they are grouped together.
These are so cool! Love the ones he does with animals.
My mom used to have silos of my sister and I hanging in our bathroom ... we had them cut by an old Chinese gentleman at a craft fair.
But check out TheBlackApple on Etsy. She has the coolest silos for sale. I've been eyeing them for awhile.
http://www.etsy.com/view_listing.php?listing_id=6580659
i so love this post. i've been keen on the resurgeance of this art for awhile. and i'm the queen of, 'i can totally make that'...this isn't so easy to make! (although it appears as so)
I totally made sillhouettes of myself, and my husband, I love them!!! (I have written about them awhile back on my blog, if you would like to see...) And I agree, I love your examples you have here too. Totally planning on doing some of my future children.
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