Papercut art has been produced in every culture that valued paper. It was known in China hundreds of years ago, and came later to Europe. Intricate, often fanciful designs are cut out of paper using sharp knives or scissors, and the resulting art is either mounted over solid paper of contrasting color or between pieces of glass. Papercutting made its way into the medieval Jewish communities of central and eastern Europe, and later to Israel and the Americas. Papercuts have been used for ceremonial as well as decorative purposes. Despite their fragile nature they have been used in the equally fragile Sukkahs (booths) and in the home as Mizrahim (markers for the Eastern wall). Recently they have found popularity as items commemorate the occasions of weddings, births, bar and bat mitzvah, and special anniversaries, and as gifts for retirements and other honors.
I am a native of New York City and have lived in the Capital District of New York State for over 30 years. I trained first as an archaeologist and then as a Social Worker and had numerous positions before leaving those fields to become a papercut artist. I have been producing these works for 15 years and have developed a reputation for original and clever designs which are both aesthetically beautiful and intellectually challenging. Most of my work contains visual puns, and other items which encourage the viewer to really explore every area of the artwork. I want the viewer to have that "aha" moment when they get what it's all about.
I find most of my inspirations in the words and images of Jewish liturgy, which includes the Torah (Five Books of Moses, Old Testament), the Psalms, the Books of the Prophets and other sources such as Pirkei Avot (The Wisdom of the Fathers). I find the greatest challenge and delight in illustrating, either with images or words, my interpretations of these texts. I use traditional and modern source books both for understanding the materials and finding the appropriate symbolism to represent what I am reading. Other times I find my ideas in the natural world around me; images of trees and flowers, birds and other animals almost always seem to find a way into my work.
When I have a commission for a personalized piece I try to go beyond just adding a name or names: it is important that the owner of my art has a sense that I know who they are and what is important to them. So wedding pieces have images of things which are important to the couple: their hobbies, places they visit and love, symbols they value. I did a 70th birthday piece for a man who devoted many years to religious and charitable causes which were important to him and included the names and logos of many of these organizations. I always try to interview at least one person who can tell me about the recipients of the papercut.
I am addicted to color and rich papers. I have scoured paper sources all over the world and have an array of acid-free papers which present the papercut in rich contrast. I cut 120 lb. weight Stonehenge papers in white or off white and mount the finished piece against color saturated papers in every color of the visible spectrum. Some of the papers have pieces or threads of gold and/or silver, or other unusual qualities which adds to the uniqueness of each piece I create.
I can be reached at mishkaatpaperart#gmail.com (replace # with @).