A Paper Riot at Codex 2015

The first trial binding for Vol. 1 of Decorating Paper is on display at the Codex book fair in Berkeley today (thanks to Vamp & Tramp Booksellers). Like the title page (above), many pages in the book present a number of different tipped-on examples of a particular technique. While Claudia knew what she wanted to do, a book combining this many disparate pieces will always pose a few unexpected technical issues, in addition to all the aesthetic ones that arise as one sees how something actually looks and works versus how you imagined it. She took some photos of the result before flying down to the show.

She's particularly fond of (and talented at) using flowers and different gilding tools to create patterns on the spine of a book. I think these semi- and whole circles previously appeared on the binding for Occupied by Colour.

Small specimens, ranging from old Asian and European block printing to contemporary marbling, head many of the text pages.

An example of contemporary ebru, Turkish decorative marbling. Ebru makers traditionally manipulate pigments into flower, blossom, starburst and heart patterns. Barbara created a series of such patterns for this book by marbling with 4-inch diameter paper in a small, round pot of carrageenan solution. She had started the series with the intention of marbling in a standard-size rectangular marbling tray but discovered that the results from the test bath - thanks to the circle shape and the surface tension produced in the small container - were more captivating.

Some of the samples are presented in double gatefolds, as shown above. Larger specimens shown here include pulp manipulation; glazed, traditional false-marbling; and contemporary marbling (below, displayed on some of the 1,200 sheets poor HM spent weeks printing borders on...).

If you are interested in knowing more about Decorating Paper, or want to reserve a copy (publication slated for May, 2015) please contact one of the booksellers listed at right.