Positive/Negative Cut Paper Designs

For this project, seventh graders came up with a theme and a list of symmetrical images that go with the theme. Using an Exacto knife, students cut half of each of their images from the sides of one 8" square of black paper, creating a negative space in the black paper. When the cut piece was flipped over and placed next to the square, the positive piece visually completed the shape. Then, smaller details were cut out and flipped back into the negative space and so on. See if you can figure out the themes of the final works below: