Friday, 27 February 2015 08:07

Where have all the flowers gone? 18,000 art lovers walk into a room of poppy paper.

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The launch exhibition for Manchester’s newly re-opened and revamped Whitworth art gallery caused a stampede of visitors, but few were to know that James Cropper’s paper lies at the heart of Cornelia Parker’s stunning War Room installation.

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Thousands of punched sheets of James Cropper’s custom-made, red poppy paper now hangs in the most unusual of places - the newly reopened Whitworth art gallery in Manchester. Usually sent for recycling, the vast sheets of paper left with poppy-shaped holes now feature at the heart of internationally renowned artist, Cornelia Parker’s solo exhibition.

A reported 18,000 people passed through the gallery’s doors on its opening weekend, reacting to the international media attention gained by the opening. Many of these visitors took their time to walk into War Room, the immersive installation that sees an entire room bedecked with paper reclaimed from the Aylesford poppy factory. Simply left with the poignant outline of the missing poppy, hung from floor to ceiling and overhead, Parker’s exceptionally well-received, emotionally charged tribute to fallen soldiers asks a literal question: where have all the flowers gone?

The poppy paper is made to exacting standards by James Cropper Paper, especially made to match the colour of the real flower and made to be rub and run resistant to protect clothing. The manufacturer supplies 250km of the paper to the Poppy Factory every year.

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The artist likens the intended experience of her installation to that of the op-artists of the 1960s, which saw the likes of Bridget Riley manipulate traditional art techniques to create optical illusions. A ‘walk-in’ piece, visitors are surrounded by with the industrial, rhythmic pattern pressed out of the paper. The breath-taking use of an otherwise wasted material has caused equal pride and intrigue amongst staff at the Cumbrian paper mill.

Phil Wild, CEO of James Cropper, comments: “James Cropper supplies the red poppy paper to the Royal British Legion, and support and respect the fantastic job that they do for past and present veterans and their families.  It is really interesting to see thought provoking art and narrative illuminating the effects of war. In re-using the remnants from poppy production to create War Room, Cornelia Parker poignantly reminds us of all the holes in our lives left behind by those who have been lost in conflict.

Cornelia Parker, famed for her use of found and overlooked materials, presents War Room as part of an exhibition of new commissions and retrospective installations at The Whitworth until Sunday 31 May 2015.

ABOUT JAMES CROPPER & TECHNICAL FIBRE PRODUCTS (TFP): 
James Cropper is based in the Lake District, England’s first and foremost National Park, with a paper-making heritage that started in 1845. Since its inception the business has been carefully stewarded and nurtured by six generations of the Cropper family.
Today the business is renowned globally for its luxury packaging papers, which accompany many of the world’s most exclusive brands, while the world’s leading artists, galleries and museums use its framing and archival boards alongside its range of conventional artists materials.  As well as paper products, James Cropper also manufactures nonwovens from carbon, glass and polymer fibres, which play a key part in production of composites in the automotive, energy and aerospace sectors.
Technical Fibre Products (TFP) is a leading nonwoven manufacturer, offering a broad range of high quality, technically advanced nonwovens which can be customised to meet specific application requirements. Established nearly 30 years ago, TFP primarily operates within the automotive, and aerospace composite markets while also providing effective solutions in the defence, energy, consumer electronics, industrial, construction and healthcare markets. Utilising extensive materials knowledge within polymers, particulates & speciality fibres together with high specification lamination, metal fibre coating and converting capabilities, TFP provide a wide range of customised solutions.
To find out more about the innovative production methods, product range, responsible manufacturing principles and history of James Cropper and Technical Fibre Products, please visit www.jamescropper.com and www.tfpglobal.com
Read 3073 times Last modified on Monday, 02 March 2015 12:33