Denison Library

Leaving early at 8 am for an hour drive to the first day of class had never been as exciting as it was today for Yuki and I. We were invited by a dear friend and customer of Hiromi Paper, Professor Kitty Maryatt, to sit in one of her typography and book arts class. Professor Maryatt is a Scripps graduate and has been part of their faculty for over 20 years. Located in Claremont and bound within a community with four other undergraduate colleges as well as two graduate colleges, Scripps College “provides a superior liberal arts education for women”. (Lori Bettison-Varga, President) Welcomed by a row of fully bloomed orange trees and neatly structured buildings aged with history, we were stunned by the immense beauty of this campus and even more for their library!

A quick roll call and self introduction session revealed that the students were of neighboring colleges and came from states across the country. Professor Maryatt prefers her class size to be small and intimate, which reflect greatly on the hand bound and self-printed books the students collaborate on each semester. We later got the opportunity to see some of these books which have some editions still on sale. To One’s Taste is a delicious hand made book brought to life in 2008, letter-pressed on our very own Yatsuo paper. A color from the Yatsuo series is chosen to represent a certain spice with a tale and an imagery letter-pressed beautifully onto the paper.  Boustrophedon, made in 1999, mimics the perfection of harmony with painting, calligraphy and poetry. Students handpicked a Chinese poem, recreated it in a printed image, and originated a poem of their own tying all of the elements together. A paper we carried at that time, the Calligraphy Watermark, is used in this book. The most similar paper we have in stock would be the Clover Watermark.

Their collection of books ranged tremendously in age, size, materials, and even history. Right before our eyes we experienced the evolution of books in less then 2 hours. It was our first time seeing the first books ever made in human history, which were symbols carved into stones more then 2,000 years ago. We then transitioned into books made from papyrus, palm leaves, parchment, or in particular, velum, ink hand-written and eventually woodblock as well as movable type prints. The different stages of book making was broken up into the pre-Gutenberg era or post-Gutenberg era, and we even got to interact with an actual leaf from the Gutenberg bible. It was a powerful experience to be exposed to such history that has had a great affect on civilization. We indulged our minds to all of these trifling questions such as figuring what materials they used or deciphering the method by studying each letter printed and comparing it to the other letters in the passage. The Librarian, Judy, was so kind as to invite us back again to visit the Library any time, which is an offer hard to pass!

The remaining time we had left in the class period was spent in the printing room as Professor Maryatt announced future projects and assigned work for the students. This was a trip wildly inspirational to continue pursuing the history of book making. The student gallery they have on campus was very fascinating and not to be missed! Also, Pacific Standard Times’ Clay’s Tectonic Shift is on exhibition at the Williamson Gallery.

Thank you Kitty Maryatt for inviting us in your classroom we had a wonderful time!

Charles is personally printing all thirteen platinum prints for this book on Japanese Gampi Torinoko, a paper
now unavailable since the recent death of its Japanese maker. It is perhaps the most rare and luxurious paper
we have ever seen used in platinum printing.

Taken from website.

Below are images of  “the three loose prints known as Reconstructions are large 20″ x 24″ works that are each constructed of nine
original solar exposed platinum prints, all sewn together to create the final image. Two of these loose prints also
include additional hand-sewn elements”.

Special thanks to 21st Editions and Charles Grogg for sharing with us!

I already had the lamp frame, so all I had to do was cut the paper to size and start gluing it onto the wires…

The finished look:

When lighted, the merlot color of the nepal paper disperses through the entire room, and the fibers can be seen.

(Picture looks pinker than original paper)

These Nepalese papers come in 10 different colors, and will surely make a unique and one-of-a-kind accent to your home or room!

Human Geography, 7" x 11"

Victor Horcasitas  was born in Mexico City and studied Communications at the Institute for Marketing and Publicity as well as Photography at the Cultural Center for Contemporary Art. For over 15 years he had been dedicated to television production and worked with various production companies, news agencies and international television networks. He shares with us his passion of his work and also states that he has “followed the industry down many paths: from cultural to political content, fiction to documentary, from high-concept big-budget commercials to grass-roots organizing campaigns, covered armed conflicts as well as natural disasters, and special events”. Now, Victor lives in Los Angeles, California, Mexico City and San Miguel de Allende, Guanajuato, Mexico. Continue reading for an in-depth statement, images, as well as technique details provided from the artist.

A statement from the Artist.

Photography, to me, is the surface of a thought, that by its nature, shares and becomes an idea.

Documentary film making gives me the opportunity of knowing other ways of life, history, culture.  It allows me to learn through research and proximity to the subject.

Recording images and testimonials – the process through which I approach and experience my projects – is my way of life.

Left: Cucharas, 7"x11". Right Top to Bottom: Narciso, 7"x11". Latido, 7"x11". Ojos de Gato, 14"x18"

Technique from the Artist.

This series of photographs is a fusion of technology and the ancient art  of hand made paper-Mitsumata, which is highly regarded for it’s beautiful texture. This method has been used in the religious book making cultures of Asia.

Hojo Casa Embrujo, 7"x11".

Visit his website here for more information on the artist, and to view other works. Much appreciation and gratitude to Victor for sharing with us his projects!

dnj gallery : upcoming exhibition with Helen K. Garber and her Encaustic series on handmade paper

Clay Lipsky is an Emmy Award winning designer/director based out of Los Angeles. He has applied his unique visual style across a variety of mediums, from print and multimedia to TV and film. As a director, his music video work has been featured on MTV and shown to international acclaim throughout film festivals in Europe and Asia. Despite his varied interests, photography has always been a part of Clay’s life. Within the last couple of years, he has experienced a renewed interest with the medium. He is now passionately focused on pursuing photography as fine art, free from clients and limitless in creative possibilities. Clay is self-taught and strives to create images that can stand the test of time. In general his photos are inspired by the beauty of nature, the female form and the ever changing landscape of the modern world. info@goclaygo.com

Taken from his website: http://www.krop.com/goclaygo/#/

Take a look at his other works over at his website here. We are looking forward to hearing more!

30 Open Doors
Location:Bergamot Station 2525 Michigan Ave., Santa Monica CA 90404
Date: Friday, December 16, 2011
Time: 5:00 pm – 10:00 pm
Free admission/ Valet Parking Available

Bergamot Station presents an evening open house event celebrati

ng Southern California’s original “Art Walk”. Santa Monica’s legendary art complex (Bergamot Station) comes alive with 30 OPEN DOORS, a colorful o

pen house in honor of the site’s remarkable past, present, and future as the centerpiece on West Coast art.

During 30 Open Doors, guests can view work by acclaimed artists at the nearly three dozen open galleries as well as the Santa Monica Museum of Art. In addition, come explore all that Bergamot Station has to offer, including

fine jewelry, handmade papers (HIROMI PAPER), fine florals, holiday gifts, and more.

This event is now a confirmed participant in KABC’s Spark of Love Toy Drive, so feel free to bring new, unwrapped kid-friendly art supplies for donation drop off at the Michigan Ave. entrance during the event

! Throughout the evening, ABC7 & SoCal Firefighters’ 19th Annual Spark of Love Toy Drive will be collecting the new, unopened art supplies and toy donations. For more information: www.abc7.com/sparkoflove

LAST MINUTE WISHES HOLIDAY SALE
Location: Studio 1520(1520 2nd St., Santa Monica)
Date: Tuesday, December 20th
Time: 6:00 pm – 11:00 pm
Free admission/ Parking $5

Celebrate the holidays by giving back to your community. Support LOCAL Buy HANDMADE.
Great prices on “one of a kind” gifts by your local artisans brought to you by The Last Minute Shopper & Studio1520. Gift wrapping, Wine, & Music!

Participants: Hiromi Paper, The Bocket Store, The Brands Boutique, Cleobella, El Vintage, Exquisite Restraint Corsets, Daughters of the Revolution, Dust Jewelry, Psychic Fortune Cookies, Joan Newton Pottery, Julianna Raye Designs, Laura Amazzone Jewelry, Lip Joy, Mavrix Pet Adornments, Live in Wonder, Outi Art, Pothos Jewelry, Shana Koenig, Stix and Jones, Terra Curio, Vine Street Market, Zazu Faure Los Angeles.

She had created a short film on Khadi, meaning ‘house spun cotton’ in Hindi. The film was made to promote the beauty of Khadi, the fabric of India.

The process of making Khadi is extremely fascinating and enduring, as you can see from Kanika’s videos. Her footage of the Khadi mill fits perfectly with her music selections, giving you a sense of actually being at the mill and witnessing this process for yourself.

Let us all take a journey to the captivating world of India’s Khadi-making through Kanika’s eyes.

“KHADI – A JOURNEY TO SELF-RELIANCE”

Director – Kanika Myer

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(Khadi – a coarse homespun cotton cloth made in India)



This film is shot in the only remaining villages in India where hand weaving and spinning is still practiced as a means of livelihood. This is in the villages around Srikakulam Andhra Pradesh.

Spinning and almost all the processes of creating Khadi the fabric, is mostly done by women in the villages.

However in the rest of India, spinning and weaving has now become a mechanized process.

This film “Khadi – A journey to self-reliance” is a tribute to Mahatma Gandhi’s
philosophy of Charkha (the spinning wheel) as an instrument of freedom.

Spinning was an important home industry during the nineteenth century. It was source of livelihood for all. Gandhi’s inspiration awakened many for this activity across different parts of the country.