John Miers’ Legendary Studio at 111 Strand
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
1M ago
John Miers is one of my favourite artists. I find there is still much to be learned about the art of painting silhouettes from studying his work. He worked from a studio at 111 Strand, London, and is known amongst the silhouette-collecting fraternity as the finest silhouettist of the eighteenth century. His work seems to represents the best of English painted silhouette portraits (“shades”… Source ..read more
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Silhouettes, Butoh & Rebellious Daughters
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
5M ago
When I cut silhouette no 4, of my then 6-month old daughter Taz, it never occurred to me that just 6 years later she would turn around and cut one of me! Still less did it occur to me that, as the accomplished young woman she is today, cutting silhouettes would be just one of her wide portfolio of performance-art projects. Principal among these is the little-known Japanese art of Butoh... Source ..read more
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Wedding Photographer & Silhouettist: a unique collaboration?
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
10M ago
AS A SILHOUETTIST it’s an odd feeling to have a son working as a wedding photographer. Odd, because silhouettes and photography have a close and fascinating historic relationship (more on this below). Nicholas has long been interested in photography and is now midway through an art degree in the subject. It’s his second degree, taken as a mature student. Last summer, in August 2022... Source ..read more
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How familiar are you with the silhouette?
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
1y ago
If you’ve seen me cut a silhouette, you’re probably more familiar with this shadowy art than most. But how much do you really know about them? My question today is more about silhouette imagery, as used in advertisements, illustrations and popular art, than about the craft I practice. It’s the concept, or idea of a silhouette which interests me. The reason I’m asking is that I’ve been invited to... Source ..read more
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Typhoons and Silhouettes
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
1y ago
MyJapanese mother in law was 96 years old when she passed away in the summer. She was fond of telling everybody that she was born in the same year as the Queen. I think it gave her a connection to her strange English son in law. Although my Japanese has always been quite basic, and her English none existent, we always seemed to get on quite well. I think she’d have been content to pass away in the... Source ..read more
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Tuscany, Ireland and two plane cancellations
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
1y ago
Full story to appear later today (I’m editing on the road right now… )... Source ..read more
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Listening to my Ukrainian Silhouettes
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
2y ago
Watching the news of Russian forces rolling into Ukraine a fortnight ago I was embarrassed to realise just how little I knew about Ukraine. I had to look it up on a map! What’s the history, I wondered. Why is this happening? I found I knew almost nothing about either Ukrainian culture or history. Listening to so many horrific reports quickly began to take an emotional toll. I switched the news off... Source ..read more
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How can I make a silhouette myself?
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
2y ago
I’m often asked if there’s an easy way to make a silhouette. If you have a mobile phone, yes there is! Here’s an easy project you can do at home during the holidays to make silhouettes of your family. Try it out with your children, parents, friends or siblings. I will show you how to take a profile photo of your subject, turn it into a simple “cutting guide” and then cut it out. You will need the... Source ..read more
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Should a silhouette really look like this?
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
2y ago
When people ask, I tell them I accept any challenge. As an artistic philosophy I’d recommend it to anybody. I’ve frequently experienced unexpected but welcome benefits from testing my scissor skills this way. You’ve probably already seen what happened when a New Jersey policeman asked if I could cut a silhouette while wearing a pair of handcuffs! “Can you cut a silhouette while wearing a blindfold? Source ..read more
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Are you the only artist who does this?
The Roving Artist | The Last Silhouettist
by Charles Burns
2y ago
THIS IS A QUESTION I hear a lot. The answer is “not quite…”. Silhouette cutting does occupy a tiny niche in the world of art, but I’m not quite the only one. Knowing other silhouette artists is often useful. Over the years I’ve cultivated a small network of such artists, both in the UK and overseas. For larger events I often find that clients want to book more than one silhouettist. This is a good... Source ..read more
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