701 Center for Contemporary Art presents A Paper Manipulation Workshop with Flavia Lovatelli  

When: Saturday, December 7th from 9am-12pm 

Admission: Members, $65; non-members, $75 

701 Center for Contemporary Art 

Olympia Room, 701 CCA, 701 Whaley St. 2nd Floor, Columbia, SC 29201 

Contact:  

Allison Cicero Moore, Interim Director 

(803) 319–9949 | [email protected] 

www.701cca.org 

701 Center for Contemporary Art will host a paper manipulation workshop taught by Flavia  Lovatelli on 3/29. The workshop will teach participants the basics of two types of unique  artistic expression with rich histories. 

In this workshop, participants will be introduced to quilling and coiling and will leave with a  small abstract sculpture to take home. All materials will be provided, including a paper mache  form to build on, quilling tools, quilling paper, and glue. 

Flavia Lovatelli, born and raised in Northern Italy, has been a resident of Columbia, SC since  1979. A lifelong advocate for sustainability, she has made conscious sourcing of materials a  centerpiece of her art. Her latest work uses both quilling and coiling techniques to create  three dimensional abstract sculptures reminiscent of sea urchins or other amorphous  echinopods.  

The technique of paper quilling began when Renaissance Italian monks and nuns started  rolling the trimmed paper edges of gilded books in a similar style to the decorative ironwork  of the day and used it to decorate book covers and religious items. In the 18th century, paper  quilling found mass popular appeal in Europe as one of the few acceptable pastimes for  gentle ladies that were not considered overtly mentally or physically taxing.  

Coiling is a technique associated with a type of African basket weaving which utilizes one  continuous strand of bulrush or other available grasses sewn together in a spiral pattern.  Traditionally men would use this method to make a wide, flat basket called a “fanner” used  to process grain. Recently, newspapers and magazines have also been used as available  resources to make products for the tourist market. In the Lowcountry of South Carolina, the  Gullah community have continued and elaborated on this method to make the sweet grass  baskets for which they are renowned.  

This free expression of artistic vision with mastery in a traditional craft gives depth and  nuance to contemporary art. 

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