It’s an open secret that outside the enormous industrial manufacture of paper for packaging and publishing, paper making remains one of the more prolific creative crafts in the world. Visitors to Saltgrass Press in Sugarhouse will have seen exotic papers, made in places like Japan from a range of renewable, vegetable sources, used to add visual and tactile luxury to precious words and images in limited quantities. Some of the finest examples of hand-made paper to be seen in Salt Lake were brought here recently by Melissa Sanders, who traveled with her husband to the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu to witness its making and bring back samples. They also took photographs of the process, which will be on display alongside superb, but entirely representative examples. In addition to what is displayed on the walls, sheets will be available for purchase for use in ones own projects, or just to show off for what it is: a human product raised by a thousand years of practice to the point where it takes on interest beyond its practical use; it becomes interesting in itself.

Pulp At Play: The Handmade Papers of Tamil Nadu will be open during gallery stroll on Friday, April 19th, from 6-9pm and will run through Saturday, May 11th. Red Queen Book Arts cannot keep regular hours, so those who can’t conveniently drop by to see if they’re open should call first: (801) 214-8191. Red Queen Book Arts is located at 171 East 300 South, between Kayo Gallery and Michael Berry Gallery.

Geoff Wichert

Geoff Wichert objects to the term critic. He would rather be thought of as a advocate on behalf of those he writes about.