This post is a compilation of news and interesting papier mache artwork that I found while surfing this morning.
My online journey began wit this news item: Malta is celebrating Carlo Darmanin, Malta’s most important papier-mache statue maker, with an exhibition of his work. Naturally, my reaction to this news was “What? Papier mache sculptors are important in Malta? I want to go there!”
The great sculptor died 100 years ago, but they still think papier mache is important. Lectures included in the celebration will include::
Renzo Gauci, a Maltese papier-mache statue maker who will be speaking about the art of papier-mache, and another by Victor Caruana, who has carried out in-depth research about papier-mache and artists who use this technique.
Our Lady of Lourdes by Carlo Darmanin
Darmanin created statues for use in churches and sanctuaries. I’m guessing, but it looks like the works were made with the traditional “chewed” paper, or papier mache pulp. If I happened to be in Malta I’d make sure to attend that lecture so I could know for sure.
And in case you’re wondering, Malta is in the Mediterranean, due south of Sicily – and it looks like art of all kinds are important there.
Ilooked for photos of contemporary papier mache in Malta to see what they’ve been up to lately, but I was unsuccessful. However, I ran across these small statues of Keith Richards and Woody Allen (in Barcelona – Google isn’t perfect). It’s interesting to see papier mache used to create human figures in completely different styles – both sacred and profane. The profane ones are below (I’m not sure I could live with this likeness of Keith, but Woody is kind of cute:
Keith Richards and Woody Allen in Barcelona
You can also find a photo of a bust of John Lennon, Dr. Gregory House (Hugh Laurie), Marlon Brando and a few other figures, all in paper mache, on the Barcelona Photoblog. The blogger does not give the name of the store where these works are found, or the artist’s name. If you happen to know, please tell us.
Also be sure to check out the giant paper mache troll statue, made by Seattle artist Kim Graham. It looks like a knarly tree with a personality. According to the artist, this statue was made to look great when you get your photo taken in front of it. Her site doesn’t say how the sculpture was made or if it’s waterproof. Again, tell us if you know.
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A website of a paper mache artist – mostly statues of Saints for village festivals in Malta:
http://www.camillericauchi.com/index.php?id=5&c=5&page=1&w=1020&h=562
A hint: paper mache in Maltese is ‘karta pesta’ – probably meaning ‘paper paste’.
Religious (Catholic) statues used in village feasts for processions are usually paper mache, with some exceptions (wood, etc.).
Good Friday procession statues are also usually paper mache e.g. http://www.goodfridaymalta.com/thestatuesoverview.htm
Paper mache statues are also used extensively to decorate streets for the days of the parish’s festival in honour of the patron saint.
Those sculptures are truly amazing, Ralph. Do you have any idea if “Maltese papier-mâché” is different in some way from ordinary paper pulp? I’d love to know how these are made. (Of course, amazing talent helps…)
From what I can gather (I am not an astist, just was browsing the internet and came across your site!) (from this article in Maltese: http://www.goodfridaymalta.com/artikluvictorcaruana.htm) first the statue is modelled in clay, then a layer of plaster is used (gibs – from the Italian word ‘gesso’). Then the semi-solid paper mache (grated paper pulp) followed by layes of glue and plaster.
Maybe you should try asking these artists who are experts in this technique: http://www.camillericauchi.com
Here is another recent story about an incident with an 18th century papier mache statue which ended up in a milk van to escape the rain during an Easter procession last Sunday
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120411/local/Instinct-made-me-do-it-Benna-man-says.414944
Thanks, Ralph.
If you go to Kim Graham’s Gallery there is a Troll description page with pictures of the steps taken to make the troll. Fascinating! Looks like mostly wood scraps, cardboard, brown paper and aluminum foil.
amazing work i suppose but not really what paper mache is all about.
Hi skelectica. For some reason I couldn’t pull up any photos with your link, but I found this one. I grabbed one of their images below, but be sure to click on the link to see them all. Incredible. Are they really paper mache?
those are some beautiful pics you posted – and this post reminded me of the fallas festival in valencia, spain. it’s a week long celebration, with about 700 (i can’t remember where i saw that number..) different paper mache and polystyrene sculptures all around the town.. and on the last night of the festival, they BURN THEM!!
but there is some stunning work – i never would have guessed that the statues are mostly made of paper!
definitely worth checking out..
http://fallasfromvalencia.com/
was about the best link i could find..
Did you get the sense that the “sacred” sculptures were done with molds? The smoothness and detail are pretty remarkable, if it was all done with direct sculpting, maybe sanding down to the final surface? Makes me want to try a human figure …
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I love that troll! I ran across that awhile back. Her armature structure and build-up isn’t that different from yours, it looks like, except in scale. I wonder where it ended up?
I wish I knew how he made those saints and angels. I suspect you’re right about the molds. It looks like the paper mache they’re using is like the old composition material that doll heads were made from. Since both paper mache and composition are, basically, a way to rebuild wood from particles of cellulose, the end result is very strong. The Mexican paper mache sculptors often use strips of paper and flour paste put on on the outside of a wooden mold, and they sometimes have remarkable detail.
I’ll go back to the troll-lady’s website and see if she has a contact page. Maybe she’ll let us know if it found a permanent home. And if it’s waterproof…
By the way – which big dog event are you showing at next week? Do they have a website?