Bruce Bunting: New Works in Paper

November 1-26, 2019
Bruce Bunting: New Works in Paper
Opening reception: Friday, November 1, 4:00-9:00 PM
Gallery hours: Special hours for the 20th Annual Master Woodworkers Show: Saturday, November 2, 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM and Sunday, November 3, 11:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Regular gallery hours Monday-Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM. Please note, the Emporium will be closed Wednesday-Friday, November 27-29, for the Thanksgiving holiday.

In this exhibition, Bruce Bunting will display the wide range of papers he has made, from simple sheets to complex multi-step sheets, as well as examples of his art made with from these papers. Paper fibers include abaca, kozu, gampi, seisel, bamboo, cotton, and wood cellulose, and he also uses various vegetable related fibers from his garden. He uses dyes, inks, and pigments for color as appropriate.

I became interested in paper several years ago as a way to make low cost, light weight jewelry. Progressing from there, I started making folk style art using handmade paper. My early paper making was crude and made in a blender. As I read more, I became interested in the equipment and science of papermaking and decided to set up a studio. As a retired engineer, I was able to understand the science and construct my own equipment. After a year of construction and redesign, I now have a complete paper studio with a Hollander beater, molds and deckles, a press, a drying box, and a vacuum table.

Bunting has attended papermaking classes and visited artist studios and paper mills, during which time he has met fine artists, makers of books and prints, those who sell finished paper sheets to others, and those collaborate with others to help them realize their art in paper. In this exhibition, he hopes to generate interest and discussions leading to future opportunities and collaborations. Currently, he can sell paper from his inventory, make custom orders of paper, collaborate on paper related projects, or consult about paper making science and techniques.