ART 395 Making the Book from A to Zine
Section taken: 50
Semester taken: freshman spring
Professors: Kerri Cushman (Longwood), and Evan Davis (Hampden Sydney)
Course summary: In a Longwood-Hampden Sydney collaboration class, students interested in English and/or art come together to learn about the history and making of books. On the English side, we traveled to UVA to visit their rare book school, read some very historical and informative texts, and learned about the evolution of a book. On the art side, we learned how to marble paper, make paper from fabric, bind books, and make a decorative paper. Our final project was making a book with essays from each student about a different text or aspect of the class, handmade paper, a cover with paper we marbled, and bound together ourselves.
Reflection
This was a very unique opportunity that I’ve enjoyed having. Not only did I get to meet some Hampden Sydney students and a professor, but I haven’t taken a visual arts class since 5th grade. It was a change from my typically course list, but I’m really glad I decided to take it. I enjoyed our field trip, and our final project was really cool! It was a lengthy final project considering making the physical book was done all in class (almost all of the prep was done outside of class, such as book layout, paper making, and essay writing). I learned a lot, and I think I’ve got a whole new view of and appreciation for books. Because of this class, I decided to sign up for a paper making specific class in the spring, that is also an honors section class. I’ve learned that papermaking is very therapeutic for me, and you could often find me in the papermaking studio in the middle of the night pulling sheets if I was stressed or just too mentally tired to do anything else. While this class I doubt will be applicable to my career, it was awesome to take and has given me a new hobby!
Click here to read my contribution to the final book.
Below is a final book, book making supplies, a project from earlier in the semester, and the mouldes used to make the paper for the final book with attached watermark.
