December 2009 – Newspaper
This page and its similarly titled Submissions sub-page will show the experiments, thoughts, and final submissions using newspaper. Please submit projects by December 31 (with complete sympathy and understanding that this is a tough deadline…we’ll be flexible). We plan to post submissions within the first week of January.
Ah, newspaper…the possibilities!
Yes, you may use either black-and-white or color-printed publications, but please avoid magazines and magazine-type inserts.
Yes, you may use anywhere from one page to an entire bale…as long as you recycle the stuff you don’t use.
Yes, you should avoid using glue, staples, and other new materials.
Extra consideration for – Use of intrinsic language (if the readable words on the page relate to the piece)
This month’s challenge:
Use only one full sheet of newspaper and make something using the entire sheet without cutting/ripping any pieces off (cutting, ripping, or piercing within the full sheet is permitted).
We foresee the temptation to do origami. That is fine, but try to be original. And if you can use the original rectangular shape instead of just folding it into a square and following someone else’s instructions, even better.
If you feel the need to do papier mache, that’s also fine, but try to make the newspaper the point (no painting over it, for instance).
INSPIRATION
Peter Callesen does amazing work cutting three-dimensional forms from single pages of paper – perhaps some inspiration for the one-page challenge… Here are two images of his work. These are relatively simple – go to his website and prepare to be amazed!
And, of course, we must mention Project Runway’s recent newspaper challenge. This link includes a slideshow of the final “frocks.” Right on!
We must nod to Holly Anne Mitchell, as well, who has been making jewelry out of newspaper for years, and whose work has been juried into major craft shows, including the Smithsonian Craft Show. Nice use of color and content.
And here’s a link to Maren Hassinger’s work, which includes some newspaper-based installations, among other Beyond Garbage related work. Check out her work with plastic bags, and fax paper.
VERBS
Here are some verbs that may be helpful to you as you start to play with the material and explore its possibilities (please feel free to add a comment below with more newspaper-related verbs):
shred, rip, cut, stuff into, wrap around, weave, knit, crochet, knot, puncture, twist, interlace, crumple, flatten, poke through, fold, burn/singe, pulverize, dampen, mold…
COMMENTS
You may add comments here about the material (frustrations, triumphs, specific resources, etc.) all month long as you experiment, or you may wait until the end of the month. Text-only comments about working with newspaper can be added at the very bottom of THIS PAGE. If you have commented on this blog before, your comment will be posted immediately. If you are new to the blog, your comment will go through the Administrator for approval.
If you wish to submit a final project or summarizing comment (especially if you want to include images or links), we suggest that you do it in the form of a post on the sub-page, since those posts (unlike the more simply formatted comments on this page) can contain links and/or images. If you wish to add a post, please contact the Administrator through the contact form immediately below and we will tell you what to do to get your post published.
Contact form for posting images and links about newspaper:
Beyond Garbage Blog 