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The Dover Prize winning artist launches her exhibition celebrating nature and the art of paper cutting
Photo by Bec Hughes
Newcastle-based visual artist Bethan Maddocks, recently launched her new exhibition of work, entitled Making the Cut at Crown Street Art Gallery in Darlington Library. It’s a series of sculptures and explorations in paper, perspex, metal and wood, hand-cut or made using computer aided machines, celebrating the forests and trees of County Durham and includes giant ladders, paper cut creations and hand-crafted mushrooms sprouting from the walls.
The exhibition is supported by The Dover Prize, is a two-year bursary of £10,000 awarded by the County Durham Community Foundation to support excellence and experimentation in the arts and creative industries. The focus of Bethan’s work was to reflect the landscapes and forests that both shaped the heritage and industry of County Durham and provided welcome relief from the lockdown life we found ourselves in.
Bethan adds, Making the Cut is a series of experiments, works in progress, and final artwork. For this exhibition I wanted to share how I create my work and explore ideas. The Dover Prize was such a wonderful opportunity to allow me to play, explore and develop as an artist. I’ve been able to experiment with a lot of new materials and techniques and I’m excited to share this new work”
She added “Nature and play are themes that run through my work and I hope the exhibition encourages a little inquiry from the audience that visits it, to take time to stop and appreciate the world around us and to remember the childhood wonder of standing in a giant forest.”
Making the Cut is open between 10am and 4pm every weekday until 16th December. Bethan will be at Crown Street Art Gallery 10- 1pm on 6th of December for those who want to find out more about the work.
Bethan Maddocks working in her studio in Ouseburn
