As interest in the craft of handmade paper and papermaking as an art medium continues to grow in the United States, new texts are needed. Sophie Dawson's recent book, The Art and Craft of Papermaking, offers a visually beautiful description of the history, craft, and fine art applications of hand papermaking. This book presents an interesting introduction to paper but unfortunately does not discuss intermediate or advanced techniques. Dawson's writing is a pleasure to read and all 139 pages are full of appealing color photographs, which make perusing this book a pleasure for the eye, as well. Dawson presents the history of papermaking as a brief but clear story, describing the ancient precursors of paper along with the development of paper in China, Japan, and Europe. She gives an equally articulate account of the basic technical differences found between Eastern and Western papermaking traditions, including: equipment, fiber collection and preparation, sheet formation, and drying. The second half of the book focuses on technical fine art applications of paper, such as coloring and manipulating pulp, and includes many outstanding examples of art works by contemporary artists. Generally this is an introductory book on papermaking and my only disappointment is the simplistic level of the craft depicted. I appreciate Dawson's desire to make the craft accessible to as many people as possible. She states, "Never let the lack of conventional papermaking equipment prevent you from getting started. With a little improvisation, readily obtainable tools and materials can be adapted to suit your purpose." However, when she pictures the step by step process of traditional western sheet formation in beautifully printed color photographs, a tiny, toy sized mould is used, with only one layer of nylon woven surface and a deckle that does not hold itself onto the mould but merely rests on top. The person demonstrating couching is shown in an improper position relative to the mould, and the hands are not placed on the deckle and mould correctly, making the entire motion of the couch awkward. This kind of action could only be possible on a very small mould. With a mould of any size, 18" x 24" or larger, the papermaker would not have full control during couching, which could easily result in flawed formations such as a "broke" sheet or a sheet with "push." Even though Dawson does show what a Hollander beater looks like, she seems to assume that the reader will only have access to a blender or a stick for beating, and recycled paper as a raw material. She never discusses how to beat pulp with a Hollander beater, the only effective piece of equipment for beating many fibers, including cotton rag and linen. While it is hard to include everything in an introductory book, I feel it is important to give beginners an understanding of the use of traditional equipment and basic paper chemistry so they will understand how pulp is made and what exactly pulp is. Then they will understand what they have when they make something that is not exactly paper. The sections describing papermaking as an art medium--laminating, embedding, shaped deckles, embossing, watermarks, casting, and pulp spraying--are more thorough but suffer from the simplicity of the earlier sections, because a good understanding of fiber and pulp preparation is so very important in order to achieve the variations possible for fine art applications. Dawson also briefly describes the uses of both dyes and water dispersed pigments as coloring agents, but neglects to mention the main differences in their applications to the fiber; i.e., for best results, dye should be added to the raw material before beating and water dispersed pigments should be added to already-beaten pulp. The section on casting is quite clear and well illustrated. Dawson includes the making of plaster moulds and shows the use of a female mould with both sheet casting and pulp casting. She also shows pulp being pressed into a constructed mould but does not mention the use of a release agent such as silicone spray. I enjoyed Dawson's discussion of some conceptual approaches to the artistic use of paper. She states, "While the ritual traditions associated with paper and the meditative process of papermaking have appealed to many artists, paper's role as a natural reusable material has made it an attractive medium for addressing an increasing concern with more responsible use of the earth's resources." During this discussion she illustrates the use of clays in paper. Works of fine art using paper as the primary medium are featured in the Gallery section, supplementing photos of many exceptional pieces scattered throughout the book. The pieces shown present a wide variety of uses of paper in contemporary art. Some are sculptural with the fibers clearly identifiable in the finished piece, such as Ruth Miller's "Book Nest." Others use a translucent quality of paper by allowing light to pass through it, as in Anne Vilsboll's "Domino." Unfortunately, information about the kind of fiber used in the handmade paper in each piece of art work is not given along with the name, title, and size. While that kind of information might not be expected in an exhibition, it would certainly be appreciated and appropriate in the context of this book. Dawson mentions other uses of handmade paper, including book binding, monotype printmaking, the making of a paper lamp shade, and the making of shifu (woven fabric made of Japanese paper). While all of these techniques have potential interest, I would rather have had a more thorough discussion and visual description of fiber and pulp preparation, basic paper chemistry, and the building of a variety of papermaking equipment instead. Dawson's writing style is so lucid and enjoyable that I feel sure she could make the intermediate and even advanced techniques for working with paper understandable to beginners. Dawson's book is a truly seductive experience for anyone who has an interest in handmade paper and is looking for an introduction. She successfully presents a large variety of approaches and the color photography and graphically pleasing layout are a winning combination with Dawson's text.
