The focus of my trip to the North Coast was for Lost Coast Culture Machine's first invitational portfolio, of which I'm a part. LCCM is stationed in Fort Bragg, a lumber mill town that in recent years hosted a Georgia Pacific/Koch Brothers mill, the remains of which dominate the most of the downtown coast. (Image above is from a 2008 article on the Mendo Coast Current, which discusses how to properly remediate the soil on the GP site).
With the town's legacy as a mill for paper products, Anne Beck and Dietmar Krumney founded an alternative exhibition space and a sustainable hand paper mill, Lost Coast Culture Machine.
Click on any image for a larger picture.
In the spirit of DIY, they've built all or most of their equipment. For instance, this couching table:
They did admit to hiring a woodworker to build their molds, though Anne sewed the screens on. Below is one of their molds with a an multiple envelope deckle.
Their paper press:
Their beater, which came from Chillicothe, OH!
Something I thought was completely ingenious was their drying system for pellon and felts. It's a hanging rack system that can be raised and lowered so that it doesn't take up workroom. I wish I had the space for something like this in my basement studio, but alas.
These papers are offered for sale through their store. This table shows just a selection of what they offer:
As part of their sustainability program, they are harvesting local fibers. They recently worked with the Mendocino Land Trust to harvest pampas grass.
Some local fibers they get at the thrift store. Here's where they store them, sorted by color:
Other papers they've made:
No studio is complete without a poet hanging around. LCCM has Virgil to guide them.
I'll be posting updates as they get the portfolio online. Sales will support LCCM, in particular, the artist-in-residence program they are developing.
1 comment:
This is nice to see. I like the way they were able to utilize the space they had. I hope for continued success!
Darrell Ross
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