Artist Talk: Eric Standley

Eric Standley is an internationally recognized artist known for his highly detailed cut-paper artwork. He cuts paper using lasers to create unworldly compositions that are often hundreds of layers deep. His work has been exhibited in over 120 galleries and museums around the world and are a part of several international collections including the Palace of Sharjah of the United Arab Emirates, the Scherenschnitt Museum, Germany, and the Zupi Collection of São Paulo Brazil. Eric is a Professor in the School of Visual Arts at Virginia Tech, and lives and works in Blacksburg, Virginia. His work is represented by +Dinner of New York, NY and Media Force of Tokyo, Japan.

“I create artifacts out of paper using a gaming mouse, vector software and a laser,” says Standley. “Paper is my medium of choice for its passivity and fragility. As a vehicle for texts and images, paper is generally unacknowledged in comparison to the information printed, written or drawn on it. Shifting its function from a 2D platform to a seemingly impractical building material for intricately cut 3D compositions is an act of rebellion.

I have always been curious about the similarities in mythologies across cultures, in the rituals of faith in religions, and in the geometry of artifacts that are held sacred. Archetypal patterns are found in nature, the theories of chromatin packing and DNA expression, and in the self-similar replication of fractals. These patterns suggest to me that the strongest bonding force in humanity is our own fragility. ”

Eric Standley will be giving a FREE artist talk to discuss his work in his exhibition “Furtherneath,” on June 30th at 7pm at William King Museum of Art in Abingdon, VA.

Learn more about the artist at eric-standley.com.