Open Source Papermaking

Interlude Editions Artists' Residency

The first Open Edition event will take place on the weekend of July 25-26, 2009, at Asheville Bookworks. Participants are invited to join Flatbed Splendor for an Open Source Papermaking workshop, in which a variable edition of paper will be created by the group. This workshop is made possible by Interlude Editions and their Artist in Residence Program.

Participants are invited to send pieces of 100% cotton clothing to BookWorks by July 17th. Before sending the clothing, it should be cut into 1 1/2 inch squares, in preparation for its transformation into Open Source Paper. Before the weekend event, the clothing will be soaked and beaten into pulp, becoming source material for the variable edition of paper.

Participants will be asked to arrive in Asheville on Friday, July 24th. We'll have a get together that evening, familiarizing the group with the project and each other. The workshop will begin on the morning of Saturday, July 25th, with a demonstration of the papermaking process. We will practice pulling sheets together and then break for lunch. On Saturday afternoon, we will begin pulling sheets. The resulting edition of paper will be variable, dependent entirely on the choices made by participants as we mix pulp from a variety of source bins. The source bins will include the pulped clothing from participants, as well as additional cotton and abaca pulp. We will continue pulling sheets through Sunday, July 26th. We'll wrap up on Sunday afternoon, concluding the Open Source Papermaking event with a celebratory dinner that evening.

Once the paper is made, it will become substrate for an edition of artists books to be completed in the spring of 2010. All participants in the Open Source Papermaking event will be given a copy of the resulting artists book, both as gesture of thanks and in observance of the FLOSS ethics of shared ownership and accessibility. In addition, participants will be given detailed papermaking instructions, enabling each participant to move forward with their own papermaking projects as they see fit. The papermaking instructions will be letterpress printed for each participant on a sheet of the Open Source Paper soon after the event. They will also be posted in digital format on the Open Edition wiki.

Participation in the papermaking workshop is limited, due to the size of the studio at BookWorks. If you would like to participate in the event, please e-mail Flatbed Splendor as soon as possible. Your participation will be confirmed via e-mail, at which point you will receive detailed instructions about sending your clothing, travelling to Asheville, finding accommodations and scheduling for the weekend.

If you are not able to participate in the Open Source Papermaking workshop but would like to take part by sending clothing for inclusion in the edition, please e-mail Flatbed Splendor, expressing your interest. You will receive detailed shipping instructions via e-mail. In gratitude for your participation, you will be sent a letterpress printed papermaking instruction sheet upon completion of the workshop.

For more information regarding Open Edition, including future events and opportunities to participate, please visit the About page.

Thank you for your interest and your participation!