Chinese Paper Cutting Demonstration 7

Introduction to Paper Cutting

How to build a town from paper

Pingxi Lantern Festival3

Cutting the Paper on Japanese Shoji Doors

Landscape Painting Tutorial: Grand Canyon with Split Brush Techniques on...

Landscape Painting Tutorial: Grand Canyon with Split Brush Techniques on...

Landscape Painting Tutorial: Grand Canyon with Split Brush Techniques on...

British Association of Paper Historians

http://www.baph.org.uk/

The History of Paper + Paper Crafts

The History of Paper

the future of paper, baby

This isn't a post about how paper is going away. Futurists, I think, are past all that, especially after 1) it didn't happen after the explosion of the Web, and 2) The Myth of the Paperless Office explained in terrific detail just how paper works as a medium for collaboration, as a physical object for organizing workplace interactions, and as a tool for instantly seeing the state of a job (in air traffic control, for example).

This evening, I ran across Anonymous Lawyer's post on the uses of paper as dramatic props and communication tools in legal practice (paragraph breaks added):

you can't mark up a document on the computer, you can't carry it down the hall and wave it in someone's face and ask them what they were thinking when they left out the comma on page 17.

I never thought about it before, but I can't imagine ever getting to a point where there wasn't all this paper. You just can't walk into an associate's office, slam your laptop on his desk, and scroll down to the place where he made a mistake. You need to have that brief printed out, you need to be able to tear those pages right in front of eyes, to scatter them wildly across the room, to fill the sheet with red lines and crosses and corrections, to crumple those papers up, toss them in the trash can, light them on fire, and watch them burn.

Sure, we could probably afford to destroy a couple dozen laptops a day just to make a point that we demand perfection -- but paper just works so much better for that.

Incidentally, his blog is worth dropping in on whenever you think your job is bad.

source

http://future.iftf.org/2005/06/the_future_of_p.html

ocean capital inc.

that i have to share this website with you not only because of the content but furthermore because of the best design ever...

http://www.oceancapital.net/mission.html

paper consumtion

http://www.secret-life.org/paper/faq_paper.php

how to recycle paper

nice and easy tutorial on how to recycle paper.
could be part of our exhibition maybe?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGrIUT111us&feature=related

THIS IS IT

sorry.

just found the whole talk of patrick dixon (plus the audio quality is good).
i let the other to posts online for now (just in case...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=djSWPET40Ro&feature=channel

same guy, more information

his name is patrick dixon

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wFV-qV7cK58&feature=channel

another future thing

the audio is really really bad, but the guy (and what he says) i awesome.

quite entertaining and interesting at the same time.

should definitely go into our exhibition at some point.

joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6s5E_0Qavg&feature=related

future of paper

REALLY REALLY interesting video about the future of paper.

g

joe

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KjLIYAO6OYQ

The Future of Paper

Sorry for the Annoying guy's voice- talks about the kindle briefly and paper used in everything such as houses, furniture etc.

EARTH University, Costa Rica - Banana Paper Production

Inventions from Ancient China ~ Paper Making Technique

Paper Making

Inspiration- LET'S MAKE STUFF

Scott Albrecht

what are sustainable raw materials?

A sustainable raw material is a material that is once used can be replenished, quickly, without mitigating environmental and ecological impacts. A sustainable, a perfect example of a sustainable product is a bamboo. As fast as you can cut it down and reprocess it and make it into yet a product, you have another blade of bamboo. It's fabulous. Hemp is the same process. What's not a sustainable product? Oil. You have a finite, it's not infinite, it's finite. That's not sustainable. It has to be able to be self-generating. At the same time, there needs to be stewardship. You need to not only cut down the bamboo, but you have to make sure that when the new bamboo is being developed that it has the right nutrients and balance and so you also have to be a participant. So, sustainable raw materials is part like, example bamboo, but is also a subcontext as you have to have stewardship of that sustainability because, if left unchecked, you cut down the bamboo, the next bamboo blade might come out and might not be as strong and in depredated. So, you have to have stewardship with sustainable raw materials.

What is Craft? — "Quotes"

Mark Jones
Director, Victoria & Albert Museum

"Craft is remembering that art is seen, felt and heard as well as understood, knowing that not all ideas start with words, thinking with hands as well as head."

David Revere McFadden
Chief Curator and Vice President, Museum of Arts & Design, New York

"Craft, art, and design are words heavily laden with cultural baggage. For me, they all connote the profound engagement with materials and process that is central to creativity. Through this engagement form, function, and meaning are made tangible. It is time to move beyond the limitations of terminologies that fragment and separate our appreciation of creative actions, and consider the "behaviors of making" that practitioners share."

Edmund de Waal
Practitioner

"Craft is a starting place, a set of possibilities.
It avoids absolutes, certainties, over-robust definitions, solace.
It offers places, interstices, where objects and people meet.
It is unstable, contingent.
It is about experience. It is about desire.
It can be beautiful."


http://www.vam.ac.uk/collections/contemporary/crafts/what_is_craft/index.html

Trendy Craftsmanship

Indiana Artisan Profile: Joseph Rice
He's a popular guy... There's a 6/7 waiting list for his glass crafted lamp works.

http://vimeo.com/8326420

Craft Production

Les Artisan Laos- Bangkok

Using organic products such as a coconut in order to make ornaments, boxes, furniture etc.  

http://vimeo.com/12749176

a dying art form

http://vimeo.com/6935566

rubber tree

BENEFITS

• Natural latex producer (yearly extraction)
• Good “wood” properties (uniform cellular structure, stable, flexible, and relatively dense – akin to Maple)
• Resistant to fungus, bacteria and mold
• High growth density (approx. 90 trees per acre)

CURRENT USE

Historically, the wood from the harvested rubber trees were used as a cheap source for wood fuel (brick burning, tobacco curing, etc.), until the research and manufacturing development was done to make the relatively unstable wood, more suitable for Timber production. Due to the relative ease and cost-effectiveness of harvesting trees that are grown in a plantation format, and that are harvested as a by-product from the latex extracting rubber production, rubberwood has become one of Southeast Asia most successful wood exports. The uses of rubber wood have grown tremendously, and its’ commercial value has increased significantly due to its’ inclusion into a multitude of wood based products, including wood-based panels, particle-board, parquet wood flooring, kitchen items, etc.

FUTURE USE

The future of the rubber tree is pretty solid due the economic viability of the product, the shear quantity of plantations in growth and being invested in, and the flexibility of use/applications that the rubber wood can be used for. Cross-breeding Hevea clones to allow for greater latex production is being proactively studied, which in turn, through the process, could also increase the quality of timber being produced. There are no signs of a waning interest in rubber wood both for latex production or wood product fabrication – the sky seems to be the limit for applicable product uses.

cowboy hat craftsman

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s1tF6i5WCh8

leather craftsman

He has a sewing machine that he runs with two worn foot pedals and stops by grabbing a cast-iron wheel. "My dad sewed on it when I was a kid," he said. "It was old then, and that was in the 1940s." The shop was built in 1945. Its oldest machine, a leather splitter, was made in 1872. Its original power source: a waterwheel. "Why would I get a new one?" he asked. "The old ones work better."

Extinct crafts

Hi guys,

Just some things to look at.

Kieron mentioned looking at extinct crafts. Many of these crafts disappeared after the Industrial Revolution, when many things got mechanised.

Extinct craftspeople:

- Wheelwright - made wheels for wagons by hand.

- Pump-maker - drilled out the inside of an elm brand, to make a water pump for cottages.

- Cordwainer - made shoes, belts, harnesses, and other leather goods.

- Cooper - Made wooden barrels for beer and cider.

- Tinker - Mended metal buckets and watering cans.

Crafts that are slowly dying out:

- Saddlery

- Blacksmithing

- Mullwriting

- Pole-lathe turning

- Besom/rake making

(The Rural Crafts Association exists to keep these crafts alive, and to stop them from dying out completely)

Crafts killed or marginalized by a new invention:

- Smocking - The craft of embroiding a pleated fabric, which creates a stretchy effect. (This craft was killed by the invention of elastic.)

- Calligraphy - The art of producing decorative handwriting or lettering with a pen or brush. (This craft was nearly killed by the invention of the printing press, although it is still around).

- Silent film making - Lots of crafts were killed with the invention of sound including Title-card making.

Crafts created by a new invention:

- Paper folding - Could only come about with the invention of paper (obviously!), but it could not be done with fabric or cloth, because permanent folds cannot be made.

Crafts that have died:

- Faberge eggs - only made by one company for about 50 years. Only a handfull of eggs are in existance, which makes them super-valuable. The craft has died, no-one has revived it.

Louis

Ai Wei Wei

http://hyperallergic.com/12963/bbc-documentary-ai-weiwei/

Tutorial feedback

Before  the tutorial


Overall concept:


      Crafts... evolving towards extinction?

• Craftsmen.. A disappearing breed.

 Explaining the annihilation of craft that the technological evolution causes.

• Crafts.. the new antique.

The use of sustainable materials is giving the concept of craft a new dimension.

• Crafts.. A niche market.

Handmade objects can be replaced with technology on a professional level, but will remain as a private interest. 

• What is a craft?

Leaving an open discussion to what extents craft can be seen.

After the tutorial

Expand --> then contract (but be ready to do that)

Value. How do we assign value to objects?:

Will the extinction ever happen since collectors will always see a certain value in the objects?

The Aura. How long do we expect things to last?

Where is craft? 

Kind of the same question as "What is craft", but emphasises the fact that we have to think of the topic in the broadest way possible. 

Books for research:

Things that talk, Work of art in the age of mechanical arts, (Didn't get the last one - please add it)

This was some of the things we got, please share everything else you noted!

Great day guys - looking forward to Wednesday!

Jewellery Handcraft

These are the pics of the place where i work in munich.
its a small shop and we do everything on our own.

actually quite interesting for this project.

good work today.
keep it up.

Summary

Great ideas Louis!

Here is a follow up from today's agreements.

Problem formulation

First of all I believe it is vital to ask our selves what we want to achieve with this assignment. We have to formulate some overall questions we want to answer whether we are doing an exhibition, a website or something completely different. When we have determined these questions, or goals, we can then start to think about how we want to answer / achieve this and then, in case we ever get lost during the process, we can always go back and get an overview of what points we are actually trying to get through.

So... do we want to engage people to focus on maintaining the handcraft skill in today's digitalised society? Do we want to find out whether the original quality is still important to people or if a visual perception can be enough to satisfy the consumer? Do you become a better designer by knowing a handcraft? Or something way different?

I would like people to think about these overall questions and come up with at least six each for monday, which you think could be interesting work directions. Keep in mind that these questions can be very broad and able to surround the whole project. We have 5 weeks to answer them.

Design is about solving problems, but in this case we have to find the problem first!

Places to visit and document

• Stamp making
• Bookbinding (Sam, Veronica)
• Graham Letterpress (Joe, Philip)
• Chocolate making
• Bike shop (Joe, Philip)
• Tailor (Veronica)
• Carpenter
• Umbrella shop Holborn (Louis, Haubo)
• Notting Hill Farmer (Sam)
• Dinesen Floors (Philip)
• Brick Lane Furnitures (Joe, Philip)
• Artists using specific materials (ex. Chelsea workshop guys)

PLEASE ADD ANY SUGGESTIONS 

Infographics

Joe and I discussed the possibility of gathering a lot of facts about handcraft as well and showing all the statistics in interesting ways. This sounds perhaps a bit abstract now, but I'll explain tomorrow :)

Direction

I am sorry if I am too dominating in this group project, that is definitely not my intentions, but I think it is quite important here to begin with that we have someone to collect and summarise our discussions and preparations for every time we meet. This is a completely free group project with equal contribution from everyone, so let me know if anyone has anything to say on that matter. I know nobody has complained or anything, but better safe than sorry :D

See you tomorrow!

Philip

Thursday

Hi guys,

Just some ideas for activities,

Fortnum & Mason in Piccadilly is famous for its handmade chocolates and teas. Just checked on their website and they're even gonna have a free 'craft' exhibition in April. Even though that's too late, it may be interesting to go and have a look round the store, seeing the delicately hand-made items.

Chelsea Library has a collection of hand-made and single-edition books that may be of interest. I'm sure Leo would be happy to show us a few. If we want to do this, maybe those who have got the Library tutorial tomorrow with him could ask him. Spending the day just making stuff in the Chelsea workshops like Ronnie says may be a nice idea.

Also perhaps making new stuff out of old stuff. Everyone could bring in bits and pieces, odd stuff lying about the house, and each could see what kind of things they can make out of it.

Making stuff out of paper. (paper folding)

Louis

Discusion For Brother Louis

Hey hey!

I had a few ideas of what we could do... theres just so many possibilities! I've already contact 10 companies and places on workshops, but I have a feeling that they probably won't allow us to attend for this thursday since it's such late notice! Here's a few websites i've visited and contacted too for a one day workshop. Some are a bit expensive... but probably worth it.

If we can't find a place, there are the things we could possibly do...

- Make soap! we can recreate soap from scratch... design and reform or make a mould for it to any shape we like. we can do this at home or try and contact this workshop

http://www.genesissoap.co.uk/Bar-Soap-Making-Workshop(1860221).htm

- Use the Chelsea workshop - known to be the biggest metal and wood workshop in london... why don't we take advantage of that?

- Learn from street crafts- people you see on the street making photo frames from wires etc... we can appreciate them.

- visit galleries and place involving crafts- nice to see what other people do...

- Make our own wax candles

- Book Binding

also another website i stumbled across

http://ukhandmade.co.uk/

all the best,

Ronnie x

Yeah we have a lot of things to discuss on Thursday, but first of all we need to determine what sort of publication we want to do for this project and the ethos behind. Here are some different things to think about until we meet:

Which approach are we going to take on this?

What do we want to tell with our publication?

Do we want to go into a specific craft or give a broader picture of handcraft?

Do we want to encourage people to learn handcraft skills or do we just want to inform people?

How do we want to publish this project: which medium/media are we going to use?

In other words: it is vital to reach an agreement on what our goal with this project is and how we are gonna present it. When we know that, then we can start developing visual identity such as logo ect.

As Kieron wrote to us yesterday we are going to work on this project for 5-6 weeks. The faster we find out what we want to achieve and how, the more time we have to create an awesome piece of work!

So be prepared for Thursday guys :D

Field trip

Hi guys!


I've been researching a bit, and I thought Thursday would be a great opportunity to visit the great Winsor & Newton company I am sure most of you are familiar with. I looked it up, and they actually have a museum at their headquarter here in London.


Take a look at the 3rd movie from the top on this site:


http://www.winsornewton.com/resource-centre/videos/other-videos/#107/


If we bring our cameras we could document the trip and perhaps get an interview with an associate and use it either for a documentary / article / whatever. If we mail them there's a chance that we could even get a factory tour.


Let me hear your opinions and suggestions to other things we could do.


Cheers, Philip

Welcome

Veronica Law
Philip Linnemann
Joe Mania
Louis Yiallouris
Haobo Chen
Sam Ceccatty