JULENE HARRISON

Julene Harrison is a British artist who specialises in paper cutting and illustration. According to her official website, Harrison was originally a textile designer and had decided to do paper cutting only a few years ago. This is an example of her paper cutting work called 'The Best Thing in Life Aren't Things' and was made in 2011 for private commission purposes. It was most likely made for a private client, hence the text at the very bottom of the piece 'Emma & Ian Forever Together'. I have chosen to analyse this piece because it is a style that I would like to imitate for my series of posters for my personal project.

Her background in textiles has certainly been a major influence in her paper cutting art, as she may have worked with patterned textiles which inspired her, and continues to incorporate these designs in her current work. As you can see, she has used a white ground, which may have been a strong card for the sturdiness, which is good for laying it against a dark background, like she has done. For the cutting itself, she has used a cutting knife to achieve those precise cutouts and lines. If she had used scissors, the design would not have been as convincing and engaging. The long and continuous lines may have been a result of making a long cut out of the paper, without lifting the knife off of the page, whilst other lines, such as the sun rays at the top, or the bridge on the right hand side look like dynamic and quick cuts. It's also important to create bridges between the paper so as not to ruin the effect, and Harrison has clearly used bridges to connect the design to the surrounding border. The scale of the piece is unknown but it would be safe to assume that is is A4 size (297x210mm), as this is the conventional size for paper cut pieces. In addition, cutting with a larger size paper would be time consuming, and probably wouldn't contribute to the quality of the design. Around the text, there are images of various objects including an old Volkswagen car, a convertible, a tent and the UK flag. These objects may be personal for the clients, aspects of that are important to their identity.

When I first saw the piece, I was amazed at the precision of her cuttings, and how they resemble real objects really well. She just makes it look very easy. I thought that the border is a nice touch as it ties the whole design together.As I stated before, I want to copy this style and technique for a poster with loneliness as the theme for my personal project. When I make it, I wanted to use the same sinuous lines and precise cuts that she uses, as well as the uppercase bold typeface that she places in the centre. However, when I come to produce it I may or may not have the text in the centre.