Paper; Its Transcendental, Historical and Beautiful

To Touch, to smell, to engage with paper is probably something we do most days, even in our present lives, so computer-orientated, paper is a staple in all our lives. Supporting a multitude of needs from home, and work to studying via play. Yet, have you ever paused to wonder about its history or the myriad other ways paper can be used? Beyond our everyday interactions, the paper bags we carry, and the presents we wrap, even the loo paper we all use, paper boasts a rich heritage and a diversity of applications. It carries a legacy that stretches across history, embodying stories of invention, creativity, and boundless exploration. Find out more in Paper; Its Transcendental, Historical and Beautiful.

Image on left Pippa Dyrlaga, Flow. Image by the artist copy

Let us take a voyage through time to find out the history of the creation of paper. Its origins stretch back to the Chinese Han Dynasty of 202 BCE – 220 CE in the ancient city of Lei-Yang, China, in the hands of Cai Lun, a Chinese court official.

Cai Lun used a deft hand and acute mind to blend the unusual ingredients of mulberry bark, hemp, and rags with water, shaping them into pulp before pressing out the liquid and drying the thin mat beneath the sun’s benign gaze.

Before paper became a thing, imagine us scratching our stories onto cave walls, chipping away at stone, or maybe scribbling on parchment and vellum made from animal hides. It was a real DIY era for keeping memories alive, making every piece of writing a little survival against time’s relentless tide.

Since paper came, it changed the game. By the 8th century, this nifty invention from China was starting to steal the show from parchment, setting the stage for a revolution that would unfurl across continents.

As the centuries rolled on, the art of papermaking traversed vast continents, spreading through the Middle East and into Europe by the 13th century. Making paper was simpler and quicker than stretching, washing, and drying animal hides for vellum.

At first, paper was for printing important documents like Bibles and official papers. But then, artists started realizing paper was awesome for their work, leading to all sorts of cool new art, from sketches to paintings and even the early days of printmaking. That was how paper changed the scene for creativity.

Then there is the story of paper money, isn’t it kind of magical that we all agreed that paper could be money? This spell was cast in the 11th century by China’s Song dynasty, turning paper into currency. This bold move changed how we trade and trust. It is amazing how paper reshaped the very concept of value.

In our world today, paper transforms fashion and art, breaking the mould of traditional expression with every fold and cut. Designers like Issey Miyake and Zoe Bradley take the paper beyond the ordinary, crafting wearable art that dances on the line between fashion and fantasy.

Miyake’s Pleats Please series revolutionizes fabric with paper-inspired pleats, while Bradley’s creations turn paper into dramatic, high-fashion statements. They are not just designing clothes, they are dreaming up new realms of creativity and pushing paper to its most enchanting limits.

Justine Smith sees money currency not just as paper, but as a canvas for exploring value and beauty. Crafting delicate flowers and detailed maps from banknotes, she explores themes of value, beauty, and global interconnectedness. Her art turns everyday paper money into stunning, thought-provoking sculptures.

Specimen Geranium Endressii  Madagascan Ariary, São Tomé & Principe Dobras, Chinese Yuan, butterfly, silver plated egg cup, wire, glass dome. Dimensions: 18.5cm x 18.5cm x 26cm Image Justine Smith

The evolution of paper in music, through iconic album covers designed by artists like Roger Dean, has transformed the way we experience music. Dean’s visionary landscapes for bands like Yes and Asia didn’t just wrap a record, they expanded the music’s universe visually, deepening our connection to the tunes.

Paper art also becomes a voice for cultural identity, enabling artists to weave their heritage into pieces that speak powerfully of tradition and contemporary life alike.

And paper is still an important part of the world of creativity. At the heart of MAKE Southwest, the PULP exhibition reveals the magic of paper in the hands of 30 international artists.

From ethereal sculptures to jewellery paper mimicking gemstones, each work invites us to see paper in a new light. These artists prove that paper is more than a medium; it’s a source of endless innovation.

Pippa Dyrlaga delicately plays with paper’s fragility, crafting patterns that spiral from a central tear, inspired by the Japanese philosophy of kintsugi, finding beauty in the broken. It’s a subtle nod to the art of embracing imperfections and giving them new life.

Clare Pentlow’s “Subtlety in White” whispers the power of paper to mimic the natural world’s quiet elegance, proving that something as simple as a sheet of paper can capture the complexity and beauty of nature’s own designs.

Clare Pentlow, Subtlety in white, image by the artist

Nathan Ward dives into the depths of the ocean with his art, studying the grace of marine life through paper. His creation of a whale, fully articulated is a testament to the movement and life that paper can embody.

Nathan Ward, Under Water paper and movement 3, image by the artist

Kate Kato’s paper creations invite us into a miniature natural world of her own making, where flowers, fungi, and insects crafted from paper rival the beauty of their real-life counterparts.

Kate Kato Kasasagi, Fungi, image by the artist

This journey from ancient craft to avant-garde artistry at PULP not only showcases paper’s versatility but also celebrates the human spirit’s boundless creativity and resilience. It’s a testament to how imagination can transform the simplest material into a world of wonder.

Every touch, glance, and fold of paper connects us to a deeper story than we often realize, intertwining with art, fashion, and creativity in ways we’ve barely begun to explore. This unassuming material holds a world of possibilities, influencing realms from art to fashion in profound, unexpected ways.

Find out more here in, MAKE Southwest Paper; Its Transcendental and Historical, makesouthwest.org.uk, and discover the boundless impact of paper on our lives and culture

If you enjoyed reading Paper; Its Transcendental, Historical and Beautiful, then why not read Immersive Canvases: Living Within Brushstrokes of the World Around.

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