The book I chose to alter was “Fox in Socks” by Dr. Suess. As mentioned above, I was not able to pick a book from home as I added the class late. But, I always enjoyed reading Dr. Suess books as a kid growing up, so I figured “Fox in Socks” would be a good choice for the assignment. The process of deciding how to alter the book was difficult. In most other classes at Bryant, I’m used to having a rigid and structured assignment. This open-ended project proved to be a bit of a challenge at first, but I found that once an idea was chosen the task got significantly easier. I thoroughly enjoyed the process of altering the book. I really have never done anything like that before, it was a fun experience. The thing I realized while altering my book was that there really is no right or wrong in the assignment. It is completely up to us, and each project would be completely unique. There would be no one else to verify my work upon its completion except for myself, again, a completely different experience from most assignments I’ve completed at Bryant. I’ve also learned that I enjoy the process of things more that I first perceived. When asked in my creative autobiography, I answered I enjoyed the result more than the process. For this particular assignment, I think I enjoyed the process more. It’s not that I did not like how my book came out, I just enjoyed making something completely unique to me and all of the steps and preparations that went along with it. Additionally, I learned how to properly use many of the tools in the kit, which helped in performing some of the art-actions on my book. I look forward to seeing the rest of the class’s interpretation of this book altering assignment. There was a wide range of book types when students brought them in last class, and I would expect a diverse and unique collection of projects to be turned in. I am also eager to see if other’s enjoyed the process more than the result, especially if they identified as results oriented people in their creative autobiographies.
One thing I took away from the readings was the location of the origin of paper. Prior to this class, I never really gave much thought to how paper came to be or where it originated from specifically. I’d say most millennials feel the same way, especially given how common paper is and all of the different types and sizes today. However, this never used to be the case. It wasn’t until A.D 105 that paper was invented in China. Ts’ai Lun is credited with the feat of inventing paper, however it is rather unclear whether it was his own invention or he was simply the official when the invention was made. At any rate, Ts’ai Lun is still recognized to this day in China as the one who invented paper. Writing on materials like bamboo and silk were not very practical, and Ts’ai Lun had an idea to make a more suitable material from tree bark, hemp waste, and old rags and fish nets, paper. The process of making paper was improved by his apprentice, and this new craft of paper making was poised to spread. The proximity of Japan, China and Korea aided strongly in the spread of paper. While China invented the product, the first printing was said to take place in Japan. This is due, in my opinion, to the communication and trade between the two countries which allowed for the movement of paper itself. These two factors above are crucial for the spread and advancement for any product, and paper is no different. Paper has come an extremely far way to where it is today. The advancement would not be possible without the widespread use of the product in multiple locations, and the constant tendency to improve the process of creating it.
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Another thing I found quite interesting was how and where paper made its arrival in Europe. It wasn’t until the 12th century when paper first appeared in Italy. Paper first made its arrival in Genoa, Italy, via trade with Arab Spain. Initially, paper was not very well accepted given its frailty and tendency to tear. With time, the versatility of the product enabled it to become more mainstream in Europe. I thought it was interesting how each paper maker in the 14th century used their own watermark so they could track and distinguish their paper. This shows that there was an art to making quality paper, and paper makers wanted to keep track of their own work. Additionally, the use of animal glue opposed to vegetable based glues produced a smoother more desirable finish. Seemingly, as time went on and new technologies were unveiled, the process of making paper improved and with that the final result improved as well. I think it would be interesting to see and feel samples of paper from each century in different geographic locations since its creation, to observe differences and see how much improvement has been made in the manufacturing of paper.
This first project was a great experience to get oriented with how this course will operate, and how it is seemingly different from most classes at Bryant. I’ve taken away a great deal from this first assignment, and I feel more prepared to take on what the rest of the class has to offer. The readings were equally as important, as it provides a foundation for the class and truly allows us to understand the upbringing of paper. I look forward to sharing my altered book with the class, as well as utilizing the rest of the tools and art actions in future projects. Also, I think it is appropriate to formally thank Ts’ai Lun for inventing the wonderful product that this great class is dedicated to, paper.
Joe, it was good to hear that I wasn’t the only one nervous about this altered book assignment. Just like yourself, I was nervous because of the lack of instruction and I don’t consider myself as an artist either. But I did understand this why Professor Hasseler assigned this project, “to get our feet wet” and to help us find our inner creativity. Also like yourself I said I enjoyed the result rather than the process in class, but I was able to enjoy the process of altering my book and I didn’t want to stop. A point you made about the readings was that we do take for granted the ability to write on paper. It was interesting to read about the evolution of paper. Like you said writing on bamboo and silk weren’t very practical, the invention of paper was called upon because there was a need for something practical to write on. Thanks to Ts’ai Lun’s idea and the constant improvements, paper has come a long way from China in A.D. 105. I feel paper took a while to get into Italy because it was new and wasn’t accepted right away. Once it was accepted, Italy did make it an art form, with have many producers of paper and having their own watermarks to keep track of their paper. I would also like to see and feel samples of papers from different centuries and locations to see the improvements in person.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with how this project was a little worrisome. I am admittedly type A personality. Lists, organization, direction are all my friends so when this project was assigned, I was completely caught off-guard. I was not sure how to proceed with the alterations and furthermore needed time to comprehend that there was no right or wrong with this project. However, once I jumped these personal hurdles, it was easy to dive into this project and be completely confident in the end result. I agree with Joe when he stated how millennial’s are kind of unaware of the history of something as common as paper. It is easy to become fascinated with other more stimulating objects such as the pyramids in Egypt or Stonehenge in England, but paper is completely skipped over. I think it was interesting that Ts’ai Lun recognized the need for something like paper. Materials such as bamboo and silk were not very suitable for permanently writing something down, so they were substituted for tree bark, old rags, etc. I personally thought it was interesting how even though the Chinese had invented paper, it took a while before it was introduced in Europe and even longer before it was accepted as the main medium for writing.
ReplyDeleteJust like Joe I do not consider myself much of an artist. I wouldn't say that I need lists and a set schedule but as far as painting, drawing and out of the box creativity goes I wouldn't say that is a strong suit of mine. What I took away from your write up is that making something unique to you is uplifting and invigorating, knowing that you took something that once was and made it was it is. I thought it was interesting how Joe brought in outside resources to complete his project. I have never read this book but I am assuming that it doesn't have an actual sock attached to it. It was a nice touch that still related to the theme of the book but made it unique to Joe. The lack of structure with this project was in fact what made it so fun and limitless. For things such as this it is true that we only hold ourselves back, our creativity is endless and this was a great way to release some of that creative energy. Through the readings I also found it interesting that there was such a strong need for paper throughout different cultures. Ta’ai recognized the importance of it and this in turn made it important for other people to use for scribing and writing down other important information.
ReplyDeleteJoe, it is nice to know that I was not the only one worried about this assignment. To me, it seemed a little intimidating and I had no idea what I was going to do to my book. I am glad once you began working on this assignment that you began to enjoy it. Just like you, I do not consider myself to be very creative so sometimes things can seem overwhelming. I also was used to having classes that had structure. I had the opportunity to take Professor Hasseler’s Creativity in the Arts class last semester and it definitely helped me become more creative and more willing to take risks. She taught me that no matter what you do, there is no wrong way to do something and that even if you do not like your end result, someone else will. Just like you Joe, I am excited to see what other students came up with. I would agree that millennials take paper for granted in this day and age. It is hard to imagine a world without paper. It is interesting to me to see how many different materials could be used to make paper. In our most recent reading assignment, I learned that the Arabs had also used rags in the process of paper making. Their process seemed like it had more “mechanics” involved. I too would like to see paper from different centuries. I’m sure each one looks and feels a little bit different. I am excited to make our own paper in class.
ReplyDeleteJoe, your book altering project looks like it came out really cool. I was in the same boat as you at the start of this process and I felt like I was totally out of my element. I don’t see myself as particularly creative either so this project initially looked like a challenge. To comment on your reference to enjoying the process or the end result, I initially indicated that I was a results person. I like to get to the end of a project and feel accomplished. However, in this case, I really enjoyed the process. I found it fun, interesting and challenging and I felt like the end result was never going to be enough. I could’ve continued my alterations much further but obviously for an assignment, at some point you need to stop. This was something new for me and it was an cool experience.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, I like how you focused on the geographic expansion and development of paper over time. This to me was also very interesting and I liked learning about how papermaking started in China and made its way around the world. As we went further with the readings and read more this week, this expansion continued as the origin of paper in the Americas was explained. Like you said, Millennials probably wouldn’t think twice about the history of paper, yet we rely on it extensively every day. It was eye opening to think about the in depth process that people were challenged with hundreds of years ago and realize that we just take it all for granted.
I can totally sympathize with Joe when it comes to feeling out of your comfort zone and unsure of where to begin with this assignment. Personally I felt out of my comfort zone when I took the Creativity and the Arts class last year, but seeing as I ended up thoroughly enjoying that class, I knew that Bookmaking would be equally as enjoyable. With all the heavily structured classes that I, like Joe, have taken here at Bryant, this course is a much needed breath of fresh air. I agree that this assignment helped me to “get my feet wet” in terms of completing a task with no particular goal in mind. Again, like Joe I also never gave any thought to the origins of paper, and if you asked me before doing these readings I would have simply said that it’s made from trees. However, now I know that paper was invented in China, in approximately 105 A.D. The spread of paper also interests me as it was learned by country after country from China to Japan to Korea and on and on from there. To think that without the invention and adoption of papermaking around the world, we wouldn’t have books or newspapers or anything else like that, that today we take for granted. Though many functions in society are becoming “paperless,” we still could not function if paper ceased to exist tomorrow, at least not continuing life as we know it.
ReplyDeleteI, like Joe, felt a little nervous sending in the pictures of my altered book. Bryant does not typically offer courses that give assignments with so much freedom and because of that I was completely unsure of how my book may be received. After now seeing all of these wonderful books, I have come to the exact same conclusion as Joe. There was no wrong was to do this assignment because every student’s experience was unique and significant in wildly different ways. Thinking about it now, a rubric would be impossible to write for this project. I am glad, though, that this course is helping more Bryant students, along with myself, to expand beyond power point presentations and research papers. The idea of creativity as a separate entity is myopic and I hope more people realize how influential paper as an art form is to the entire world.
ReplyDeleteI'd have to agree with Joe in saying that I too was equally intimidated by this first assignment. Like Joe I had a hard time getting started due to the freedom of the process for the assignment. I enjoyed that Joe used a Dr. Seuss book because it reminded me of my collection of Dr. Seuss books that I had when I was younger. Also very similarly to Joe I feel like I am not the most artistic or creative person. Although I did have the opportunity to take another one of Professor Hasseler’s classes last semester, which did help me find more of my creative side. This course also taught me that there isn’t really a wrong way to create, you just need to find what works for you. I’m taking that lesson and bringing it to this course and I’m going to find what works for me throughout the paper making process. Another topic Joe brings up that we had in common was the origin of paper, I too before this class had never thought of how paper came to be. It is crazy to think about how far paper has come and how it had developed into something we so easily take for granted, but as Joe states in his writing this wasn’t always the case. I think if more people knew and understood the history of paper and where it has come from we may respect the use of paper a little more.
ReplyDeleteI understand where Joe was coming from with this assignment. This class is completely opposite from any other I have had at Bryant. There is usually no free reign, and this project consisted of loose guidelines and complete free reign. It can be overwhelming to be thrown into a different mode of thinking. I like how he used an object other than the book to complete his assignment. Cutting the book apart and using pieces of it while utilizing the sock definitely captured the Dr. Seuss attitude. I also agree with him when he said that this was a great introduction to what this course will be like. The combination of the assignment and the readings helped to really get us started in this class even though the snow didn't want us to.
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