skip to content

Faculty of Classics

 
Cutting the Curve: paper cut head of statue against black background

Cutting the Curve

Crafting the Classical Body

January 18th - February 25th

 

Cut-paper artist Vanessa Stone explores the classical body – its S-curves and rippled muscles, its profiles and rear-views – in this exhibition of custom-made and unique artworks inspired by Greek and Roman sculptures in the Museum's Cast Gallery. 

 

There is something magical about these casts, something just so beautiful about the line of a shoulder, the curve of an arm and the subtle silhouette of a Greek head in profile.

My blade has almost been asking me to cut these lines - to capture them in the simplicity of cut paper.

 

The pieces in this exhibition are ones that Vanessa Stone has wanted make for many years, collages that translate these casts into layered paper collage. Vanessa uses a scalpel to draw into surface of a piece of paper, cutting away the negative space to bring out the dominant line or shape of the sculptures. She then layers from behind and cuts into those layers and so the process continues. She reduces the casts to abstracted forms, trying to capture the essence of their form and line, and the same sense of balance and sense of presence that the casts carry intrinsically.

 

Paper cut image of a girl's head, leaning down to put her lips to a bird

Tell me little bird (© Vanessa Stone)

 

Events

Meet the Artist Friday 5th February, 6-8pm: An Evening with Vanessa Stone

Workshop Saturday 20th February, 2-4pm: Cut Your Own Curve

 

Find out more

Vanessa Stone's website

Buy Vanessa Stone's greetings cards and digital prints

Every cast tells two stories.
One ancient. One modern.

Admission is free.

 

Just drop in: no need to book

 

Lift out of order

Our lift is currently out of order which means we are not able to provide step-free access at present.

 

Easter Closure

We will be closed from Good Friday to Easter Monday, inclusive.

 

Opening hours

Tues-Fri: 10am-5pm
Sat (univ. term-time only): 10am-1pm
Sun and Monday: Closed

Closed on Bank Holidays

 

Saturday Opening

Please note: We are open on Saturdays only during University of Cambridge term time.

We are currently closed on Saturdays. Our next Saturday opening will be Saturday 27 April.

 

Visit us

Museum of Classical Archaeology
Faculty of Classics
Sidgwick Avenue
Cambridge
CB3 9DA

We do not have an entrance on the road. Find us inside the Sidgwick Site.

 

Join our mailing list

 

 

Get in touch

Tel. +44 (0)1223 330402
Email 

 

Find us on social media:

 

 

 

Copyright statement

All images and material on our websites are ©Museum of Classical Archaeology, University of Cambridge unless otherwise stated. If you would like to reproduce our images, you can now do so for non-commercial use at no charge.

See also our Copyright Notice and Take Down Policy.