WATCHING THE PRECARIOUS political situation currently unfolding in France I’m reminded of the origin of the word silhouette. I’m acutely aware that those who know me well will tease me about this. They’ll tell you that absolutely everything reminds me of silhouettes!
AS OCTOBER IS BLACK HISTORY MONTH I feel inspired to tell the story of William Hamlet (1749–1822), a successful silhouettist working from studios in both Bath and Salisbury from the 1780s until around 1820. He referred to himself as a “profile painter” and is an artist I would love to have had a conversation with.
THE AREA OF LONDON around Strand and Aldwych has always fascinated me, so I was intrigued to be approached by One Aldwych to be one of their cultural curators.
HERE’S AN ARTISTIC QUESTION: can I cut a portrait of storytelling in action? I don’t mean cutting a portrait of the story teller (I know I can do that) but somehow to capture the act of storytelling itself: the pace, mannerisms and energy of the storyteller?
OVER THE YEARS I’ve collected a small number of painted silhouettes made by a French artist called Max Noël. All I know about him comes from his silhouettes, which are elusive and hard to find.
JOHN MIERS is one of my favourite artists. I find there is still much to be learned about the art of painting silhouettes from studying his work. He worked from a studio at 111 Strand, London, and is known amongst the silhouette-collecting fraternity as the finest silhouettist of the eighteenth century.
MANY WILL KNOW that as an artist working in paper I’ve always taken Christmas cards very seriously. I like to send handmade cards to anybody who booked me for an event over the previous 12 months. This year’s card features Ebenezer Scrooge.
WHEN I CUT SILHOUETTE No 4, of my then 6-month old daughter Taz, it never occurred to me that just 6 years later she would turn around and cut one of me! Still less that she would create the Rebellious Bodies dance festival.
AS A SILHOUETTIST it’s an odd feeling to have a son working as a wedding photographer. Odd, because silhouettes and photography have a close and fascinating historic relationship (more on this below).
BURIED IN MY COLLECTION are a number of silhouettes by Henry Harrison (or Henri, as he called himself when working in France).
WHEREVER I TRAVEL in the world, I always try to meet other silhouette artists. There are not many of us and I’ve always felt it’s important to make a connection if I can.
IN NOVEMBER 2022 I was invited to give a short talk about my work at the prestigious TEDx meeting in Arendal, on the south coast of Norway. The video of my talk has just been released and I have great pleasure in sharing it here (time: 15 mins approx)
IF YOU’VE EVER SEEN ME cut a silhouette, you’re probably more familiar with this shadowy art than most. But how much do you really know about them? My question today is more about silhouette imagery, as used in advertisements, illustrations and popular art, than about the craft I practice. It’s the concept, or idea of a silhouette which interests me.
MY JAPANESE MOTHER IN LAW was 96 years old when she passed away in the summer. She was fond of telling everybody that she was born in the same year as the Queen. I think it gave her a connection to her strange English son in law!
WATCHING THE NEWS of Russian forces rolling into Ukraine a fortnight ago I was embarrassed to realise just how little I knew about the country. I had to look it up on a map! What’s the history, I wondered. Why is this happening? I found I knew almost nothing about either Ukrainian culture or history.
I’M OFTEN ASKED if there’s an easy way to make a silhouette. If you have a mobile phone, yes there is! Here’s an easy project you can do at home during the holidays to make silhouettes of your family. Try it out with your children, parents, friends or siblings.
