AKI/ArtEZ Academy of Art in Enschede, The Netherlands
16 - 22 January 2011
Tom and Sarah were in The Netherlands from 16th-22nd January, where they were showing the exhibition Drawing with Fire: a pop-up show of laser cut works by book and paper artists curated by Tom.
The exhibition was travelling from Tom's practice-led, AHRC funded research project 'Paper Models: investigating laser cutting technology to develop new artists' books and paper-based creative practice for arts, crafts and design', the work displayed represented some innovative ways in which the laser cutter is being utilised by artists and designers working with paper.
They also ran laser cutting workshops with staff, students and artists at the AKI/ArtEZ Academy of Art in Enschede, The Netherlands from Monday 17th - Friday 21st January 2011.
The invitation to run the workshops and show the exhibition was offered after staff from the AKI/ArtEZ in Enschede attended Tom's laser-cutting symposium in Bristol last September and purchased a Trotec laser cutter demonstrated by the Trotec company. The workshops experimented with using the laser cutter to accurately engrave and cut porcelain paper for sculptural books. This was an unexpected development, utilising the laser to etch fine text and image into unfired or pre-fired, glazed pieces allows different layers of colour and transparency to be cut accurately for delicate works which would be unachievable by hand, into substrates as thin as 0.5 mm.
Sarah and Tom stayed at the Villa de Pilla, a restored townhouse B&B in Enschede, The Netherlands, run by Karen and Lidewij, two graduates of the AKI/ArtEZ Academy of Art, a lovely place. www.villadepilla.nl