Pictures Copyright (c) by Dan Paulos - All rights reserved
DAN PAULOS TACKLES HIS PAPER-CUTTING WITH THE zeal of a missionary actively bringing home his flock.
He is one of those rare artists who has chosen to express his Catholic beliefs in a very unique art-form. His silhouettes are created with tools seldom thought of in the art world: a pair of scissors and honed razor blades.
Daniel Thomas Paulos was born December 16, 1949 into a poor, but hard working, family in Sioux City. He had five brothers and two sisters, so one would not suspect that early in life he would prefer to slip away and visit the homes of the elderly, or work in the convent and rectory, preferring his friends, the nuns, priests and "his beloved old folks," to children's games and childish dreams.
Paulos studied classical music, and by age 10, was playing the old pipe organ at St. Boniface Church in his home town. By 14, he was head organist and director of the adult choir.
At 17, he followed his strong religious convictions by entering the congregation of the Brothers of the Good Shepherd, an order dedicated to helping the underprivileged and abandoned. After spending nearly 10 years as a monk, Paulos left the monastery.
It was in 1970, in Albuquerque, NM, that Paulos first met the "Queen of Silhouettes," Sister Mary Jean Dorcy, world-renowned for her intricate cuttings of Our Lady. Sister Jean corresponded with Paulos from the time he was a teenager in Sioux City. It was there, at St. Boniface Grade School, that he first came to view the black and white designs of this famous Dominican nun. It was there, also, that he began his cutting career at the age of 14.
Sister Jacinta, his eighth grade teacher, enlarged several of Sister Mary Jean's designs, handed them to him, and said, ' Go home and cut these for me. I need them for the large bulletin boards in the front corridor. I'd like to have them by tomorrow."
Paulos recalls wondering exactly how he was to accomplish the task. He ended up stealing a double edged razor blade from his father's shaver, and began to cut away at the negative areas. Several hours later, one of the cuttings was complete, and as the mid-aged silhouettist now recollects, the cutting was full of blood which dripped, constantly, from his slivered fingertips. Today, Paulos laughs at the thought; he had no idea there was a tool 'way-back-then' called a single edge razor blade.
Paulos is best known for his Madonnas in magnificent, full length gowns and transparent veils. Cut from black silhouette paper with sharp scissors and a honed razor blades, the Madonnas reign over scenes that reflect provoking thoughts on grave social problems of our times. He takes refreshing liberties with his cuttings, like adding a Star of David in the background of an unmistakably Catholic theme. This is not meant to show disrespect, but is typical of the craftsman's deep reverence for all religions.
Paulos' own words best describe why he has chosen to cut paper Madonnas. "Mary, Mother of God, was the very first disciple of Jesus. She was perfectly open to God's will, and continues even today, to be a responsive model for all people."
He felt that no artist can ever portray the Virgin's loveliness as the Creator did, so he does it through paper cuttings, where no features are ever seen, giving each viewer full control to create for themselves, visions of what our heavenly Mother looks like.
Paulos said, "It is important that she not be portrayed as any one type of beauty or race, for at the foot of the cross, Jesus gave all mankind to His Mother, and blessed her with the love and respect of all God's children."
Sometimes departing from serious creating, Paulos will bring a tender smile to your face with his silhouettes of the Christ Child and Angels. His warm sense of humor is evident in one of his whimsical cuttings of a band of young angels, crowding about the Infant Jesus, who is comfortably resting in an open guitar case. One small Angel is singing too loudly, much to the others' critical scolding.
One thing in common with all of Paulos' silhouettes is his powerful association with his spiritual beliefs. However, one does not have to be Catholic to appreciate the interesting patterns, cut highlights, contrasting shadows and balancing textures of the delicate designs which create the black profiles. Nor does one have to be religious to understand the messages that the paper cuts relate.
His original paper treasures are housed in museums, galleries and private collections all across the world. He displays little interest in this fact, but does smile, however, when he admits that it all has to be part of God's gigantic sense of humor; "Who'd ever dream that single sheets of paper, sliced-up with a pair of scissors, would ever find resting places in museums? And even more amazing, that these framed pictures will continuously pay homage to that simple Maiden who so bravely called Him Son!"
Paulos is proud, and thankful, that he is able to share his works with millions of strangers. He knows, deep down, that in his own small way, he touches the lives of many people. Thus, he joyously continues his precise work as one of the Church's silent missionaries.
Now he is hard at work in his Albuquerque home on two books. One, a collaboration with Mother Teresa of Calcutta, India, and the other, a basic instruction book on silhouette cutting for beginners.
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