The Paper Makers' Felt: A Closer Look shows a macro view of wool felt used to dry sheets of handmade paper. The frayed edges of the felt, the complex structure of its fibres, and dried pulp in the fibres suggest the interconnection and delicate balance within heritage skills and industries. The paper is from the Paper Foundation in the Lake District, and the drawing is done with Derwent Pencil, another product of the Lake District. The drawing took near 200 hours to complete and was incredibly labourintensive with tiny details and fibrous paper almost fighting one another through the process. 

The Paper Makers Felt: A Closer Look invites the viewer to explore and reflect on the complexity of heritage skills and industries and their importance within our communities and landscapes.

How important is it for us to preserve not just papermaking, but other heritage industries in the Lake District? Are we happy to lose the end product and all of the component industries that lead to it? What becomes of the buildings if they are not being used for their original purpose?

If we lose these skills, do we risk losing what made this community work within and shape this landscape, and how do we keep these practices and their products true to their roots?

This piece is purposefully place-based in its material and meaning, and intentionally looks archival. Using paper from a place fighting to preserve the art of making handmade paper, while also being delicate, these pieces expressed optimism, but a pragmatic one, acknowledging the fragility of an ideal that lies in the goodwill of individuals. 

Rachel is an artist and photographer based in the North West of England, interested in exploring themes of fragility, balance and loss. Her current work seeks to explore changes to, and the loss of, heritage skills and industries in the Lake District, and their impact on communities and landscapes.