Artist/Maker Béatrice Coron (born 1956)

Hi Five! Stories from the Five Boroughs: Manhattan

2019

Hand-cut Tyvek

Overall: 30 in. × 8 ft. (76.2 × 243.8 cm)

Purchase, Coaching Club Acquisition Fund

2019.96

Born in the Rhône-Alpes region of France, Béatrice Coron studied visual art at the École des Beaux-Arts and language at the Université of Lyon III. Putting her art on hold, she worked as a tourism manager for French and American companies for ten years and lived in Egypt, Mexico, and Taiwan before moving permanently to New York City in 1984 and becoming an American citizen in 1993. While she discovered the technique of making paper cutouts during her academic studies, it was her two years in Taiwan that sparked her interest in paper as a medium. Today internationally recognized as an illustrator and a designer, Coron works in various media as a book artist, papercutter, sculptor, and conceptual artist. She has served as vice-president of the Guild of American Papercutters and has given numerous workshops in papercutting and art book techniques internationally and in New York City. In this piece, portraying the borough of Manhattan, which is one of the five New York City boroughs in her “Hi Five!” sets, Coron used one of her favorite media that departs from traditional silhouettes in paper, fabric, or glass: Tyvek, which is more durable than paper and not as susceptible to light. Tyvek is a brand of synthetic, high-density polyethylene fibers that is a registered trademark of the DuPont Company; it is often used as house wrap to protect buildings during construction. The artist hand-cut this panoramic series as an edition of four, which showcases her unique take on the dynamic synergy of the City. While admitting that it is impossible to capture totally the individual character and geography of each borough, the artist notes, “I like to research stories but one lifetime won’t be enough for a city that is constantly changing. . . . I have always been attracted to past and present stories, and in my free time I bike to explore different neighborhoods. In the moment when I am cutting, I imagine scenarios from real or imagined stories to capture the energy of a place. I invite the viewers to recognize some elements portrayed and be curious about others.” The kaleidescopic panorama, which is reminiscent of jazz, is filled with humor and the joy of the NYC urban landscape. The artist stated about Manhattan: “The center of universe. Home of MoMA, the Met, the UN, Wall Street, Broadway, famous celebrities, absentee landlords, and more . . . The skyscrapers and the prices keep going higher.” The ciyscape--which also includes the New-York Historical Society with some of its most famous works, as well as the AMNH on Central Park West--dovetails with the other panoramas and silhouettes in the collection.

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