Of course, I would be happy to share what I know about "cast" paper with you.
Basically, there are two general types of paper. We are most familiar with Wood fiber pulp, which is used to make paper, especially for newspapers, books, boxes, magazines, etc. When you use wood fiber paper, as in papier mache. you are basically gluing layers of wood fiber, such as used for laminating wood......except you are laminating layers of paper (wood fiber) to build a thicker, stronger structure, by mixing it with an adhesive the layers adhere to each other. The more layers you build up on each other, the stronger it gets, even to the point that some artists have made furniture and large scale sculptures using this method of "papier mache". It can be very refined in terms of surface, finish and so forth and is an inexpensive and widely available material.
The other 'general' form of pulp for paper, is the kind made from fiber.......you might have heard about the 'rag' content of expensive paper?...........like cotton, silk, any fibrous material, I have seen it made with banana leaves, papyrus leaves, with shredded old 'levi's' (recylced pants or clothing), wool, various threads, yarns and so on. The material you decide to use (I have even used the lint that comes from clothing dryers at the laundry.....) needs to be separated into loose fibers in a large bucket of plain water until you get a rather thick mixture of the pulp. At that point you might want to add an adhesive, such as PVC (white glue) to give it added strength needed for a 3-D object, such as a mask. I know of artists who use a washing machine to mix and separate large fibers.............they are working on huge pieces......
Besides the basic material differences of using 'papier mache' and 'cast' paper , there are other, basic differences, at least in the way I have used them. (and there are other ways of using that material, too) As I explained above, with papier mache, one builds layer upon layer to build up the strength, by laminating the layers.....
With "cast" paper, you are 'casting' fiber into latex molds (a 3-D surface). You are making a "negative" image rather than a positive one, as in papier mache......understand? With cast paper, you are pressing the fiber material into the latex mold of the mask you want to duplicate. So, you have to start with the "positive" image (or original) design of the mask you want to duplicate (say, clay, for example)......then you make a latex mold of that mask. After the mold is cured, you turn it over, and press pulp into it.(I primarily use cotton fiber, called linters, that you can get from most paper manufacturers, which they sell by the sheet)
You start pressing in the drained pulp by straining the pulp in a large kitchen type strainer until most of the water is drained, leaving a soft substance that is fairly dense. Then you carefully 'lay' it into the mold, aa little bit at a time until the mold surface is covered and at the same time, use small sponges to absorb the remaining water from the pulp. I know this sounds a bit confusing........but once you see it done, you will see how easy it is. Once the pulp is as try as you can get it, allow to dry for several days, or put in front of a fan to expedite it.. When dry, you just peel out the dried mask from the mold.
Casting paper requires learning how to make latex molds, but it's worth the effort if you ever want to make more than one mask (of an original) that is lightweight and extremely economical........ideal for theatre projects.
If you have ever made handmade paper, it will help to give you an understanding of the process......except that instead of spreading the pulp onto flat surfaces for paper, you spread the pulp onto a 3-D surface.
please let me know if I can clarify this further for you........it's a wonderful mask medium!!
Juanita Wolff
wmstudio@flash.net
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I am Danish....CAST PAPER. What is that? Juanita Wolff - I?ve seen some of your masks at Masks.org gallery are made of cast paper....will you reveal to me what it is?
Thank you so much for taking time with your generous reply...I understand most of the procedures.Got a few questions:
All Clear - Thanks - yes I hope I get the chance to go to the streets again ..we will see if anybody wants to support it. Actually the woman who took the initiative to this political street manifestation is - hold on - 85 years old! she is also the one doing all the hard application work. She is truly amazing.
