Making handmade paper from old clothes is an art and around 2,000 years old. A sheet made from used textiles is durable and flexible. For Clemens Schneider, the so-called rag paper is the basis of his painting. His XXL rag formats are unique.
The freelance artist has mastered ragging since 2015. He taught himself the ancient craft. The technique for this built by his own hands from recycled materials. For example, a cutting machine for textiles and the so-called Dutchman. Just like the sieve for papermaking. In his studio in Stuttgart, everything is a bit bigger - paper and machines alike.
For a sheet measuring three by six meters, he needs about one kilogram of old clothes. He first sorts the worn-out garments according to color and type of textile. Paper can only be made from natural fibers.
Making paper from worn-out rags and fabric remnants probably originated in China, around 100 A.D. At that time, rag paper replaced parchment, which was made from animal skins. In the middle of the 19th century, paper was then mainly made from wood pulp. It takes the trained painter about a week to produce the finished sheet.
22 авг 2022
