As part of a thesis project, I chose to explore the merging of material and immaterial processes. I led intimate workshops in which I taught graduating seniors how to make recycled paper. Each person was asked to bring materials which reminded them of the past four years in school. As a group we discussed the materials, why we brought them, ripped them up and reformed them into new blank sheets of paper. This process allowed us to process the "end" of our education, and how our experiences and knowledge would be reformed and live on into the future.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Students within my liberal arts capstone class were invited to a paper-making workshop. While many didn't know me, or my project that well, I thought it would be a nice gesture: a way to process an "end", but also to create potential beginnings. Two classmates attended.

 

Items brought:

 

Halls cough drop wrappers which had been collecting in the bottom of a bag for the past year. These represented the stress of being in school, and not being able to overcome being sick

 

A picture of the participant boxing. This represented a hobby that would be difficult to continue after graduation and possibly relocating

 

Flyers that were supposed to be passed out during an internship

 

Prescriptions no longer in use

 

Tuition bills

 

Miscellaneous receipts 

 

Syllabi

 

Psychology articles about memory, emotion and affect

 

The hair of a loved one who the participant might lose contact with if moving after graduation

 

I was asked to do a paper-making demo for a Fashion Revolution Day event at The New School. Paper was made out of items specific to the fashion industry. Emroidery hoops were used as frames for the screen, to make circle shaped paper.

 

Items brought:

 

pattern paper found in classrooms

 

scraps of fabric

 

flowers leftover from natural dyeing workshops

 

natural fabric dye

 

written articles about fast fashion

 

a participant's writing about frustration with the fashion industry.

 

 

Workshop #3

 

A workshop was held in the courtyard at school. Some, who had planned on participating brought materials to rip up and reform, others who joined in the courtyard searched their belongings and surroundings for items to contribute.

 

Items brought:

 

Receipts from purchases made while studying abroad

 

An unwanted textbook

 

Deposited Checks

 

Newspapers distrubuted at school

 

Thesis drafts and notes

 

Tickets from Spring/Break Art Fair

 

Cigarette butts

 

Hair

 

Lipstick

 

Tea

 

Leaves from a tree in the courtyard

 

Flowers from school landscaping