Pulp Function

That is the name of my favorite exhibit currently at the Michener Museum. It's a great place to go on a rainy day, which yesterday was. Here is a description of the show: "For decades, innovative artists manipulated paper products as a means of creative expression. This process is rooted in older traditions that are often culturally unique such as origami in Japan or Scherenschnitte in Germany. Contemporary artists, especially since the 1970s, have pushed the possibilities of this malleable material even further. Pulp Function surveys a wide variety of artistic expressions using handmade paper pulp, recycled paper, paper cuts, cardboard, papier-mâché, and folded paper. Tactile and familiar paper innovatively used include industrial strapping, paperback books, egg crates, trading cards, US dollar bills, diapers, NYC transit maps, photographs, Tyvek—and much more! The 3-D objects in this exhibition range from jewelry and clothing, furniture and lighting, to vessels and purely whimsical sculptural pieces and everything imaginable in between! Organized by the Fuller Craft Museum in Brockton, Massachusetts, and curated by Lloyd Herman, founding director of the Smithsonian Institution's Renwick Gallery, this exhibit includes more than 70 works and is accompanied by a full color publication. "

Unfortunately, the "publication" did not have a picture of my favorite piece, so I had to take a picture of it myself. Genius that I am, I neglected to write down the title and the artist's name. So here it is, untitled and annonymous... You can see that it is made from a cardboard dressform, with a paper dress pattern draped over it. The paper is impregnated with bees wax. I love bees wax, I love how it smells. Please notice how this form is pierced with pin holes and also studded with the heads of pins. You can see the pins in this side view. Isn't that CRAZY? I love that kind of obsessive work. There were a lot of different things in this exibit, but some you can't photograph because they are behind glass. Here are some more dresses that were part of the show.