Folding Screens 1979-1995
Arlene Slavin’s multi-panel folding screens originated in the late 1980s as a transformative medium to liberate her murals from fixed architectural surfaces. Inspired by Japanese folding paper screens, non-Western artistic traditions, and nature imagery, her screen-making evolved from paper and hand-painted wood to laser-cut steel engineered to exist in public environments.
Incorporating dynamic cutouts, vibrant color, and shifting shadows, these free-standing, sculptural screens function as flexible architectural interventions that engage themes ranging from animal silhouettes to cosmic reflections on existence.
