Calligraphy A New and Exciting Dimension

Calligraphy is often regarded as simple lettering, plonked in the middle of the paper as a certificate, a copy of a medieval manuscript or perhaps a simple artwork. Calligraphy can be and has become much more than simply lettering, it is now a work of art covering many different mediums. My focus has always been to bring calligraphy into the 21st century, rather than copying history. As a graphic designer, I have always enjoyed discovering new ways of expressing the written word, these days often using paper sculptured images to add a further dimension to the artwork. The paper sculptures can vary from a very simple motif to a major sculptured clipper as featured here. The work is painstakingly slow and one must have a steady hand and the ability to visualise, so the correct proportions and perspective are achieved.

The cut paper images are scored, folder and hinged from the back with acid free glue to create the illusion of a three dimensional image. The sculptures can be layered and built up for more complicated subjects. I often add other forms of decoration to create more interest in the work, in the form of hand embossing and feathering, which is achieved by slicing halfway through the thickness of the paper which lifts automatically after the cut has been made and creates a very interesting texture or suggested images.

Ideas for the expansion of the calligraphic idiom are endless as letterforms are skilfully manipulated, freely drawn to music to suggest a sense of spontaneity as well as the incorporation of metallic decorations and various colour washes. Let's not underestimate the beauty of the written word!

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