It started 30 years ago when I needed a Valentine’s Day card for my wife Constance.

Terry Graboski
Beck & Graboski Design Office, Santa Monica, Calif.

It started 30 years ago when I needed a Valentine’s Day card for my wife Constance. In the office, late at night, all I had was paper and an X-Acto knife. I started cutting out a flower design. After a while I decided to keep cutting and see how much paper I could remove from the sheet. The shapes I removed were as important as the solid areas I left.

I’ve been cutting ever since. Ideas pop into my head from things I’ve seen or places I’ve been. I never do a layout or preliminary design. It just comes out in a stream-of-consciousness sort of way. The more I think about it the less I like the results, so I just relax into the process and keep cutting.

I discovered that China and Poland have a long tradition of paper cut-outs, so I may be channeling my inner ancestors. When we visited the craft museum in Ghuanzhou, I was completely fascinated by the process and results of a master Chinese artist who cut out my portrait with tiny scissors.

My goal is to do larger-scale cut-outs as well as 3D constructions. I’m looking for a gallery show and more cut-out EGD projects.