What’s a Rhinoceros, Handmade Paper Watermark, and Sewing Circles All Have in Common?
What’s a rhinoceros, handmade paper watermark, and sewing circles all have in common? Stumped? It sounds like YOU need to know about the Rhinoceros Project.
Art has that special ability to stitch us humans to one another—giving people something surprising, moving, beautiful. And the Rhinoceros Project does just that.
A Brief Summary
Started in September 2016 by artists and papermakers Anne Beck and Michelle Wilson, the Rhinoceros Project creates “space for conversations on loss, extinction, value systems, and revitalization.” The effort commemorates the two remaining Northern White Rhinoceros, Najin and Fatu, through sewing circles where participants work on a real-life size embroidered version of Albrecht Durer’s The Rhinoceros. This 7 x 9 foot embroidery will be used to create watermarks in handmade paper.
hand papermaking watermark with stencil technique
What’s a Paper Watermark?
Basically, during the wet papermaking process, an area on the screen (mould) surface is slightly raised. In this case, the embroidered thread is the raised area, and the cloth is the ‘screen’. As pulp settles on the screen, it will be thinner wherever areas are raised. When the paper is dry, these thin areas result in a watermark—a hidden design made visible when backlit.
The Sewing is Done. Now What?
Now that the sewing has finished (thanks to nearly 600 people, mostly located throughout the Bay Area), the artists created a MASSIVE watermark.
Link, links, links
Lots more info and a blog at the Rhinoceros Project website and archived Tumblr site.
Check out Anne Beck’s artwork
And Michelle Wilson’s artwork (and a Paperslurry feature on her corn husk, blue jean watermarks).
That’s all I have for today, thanks for reading!
Ever yours,
May Babcock