Exhibition of works in cast paper by artist Ray Tomasso April 2, 2010

Ray Tomasso / New Works in Paper: Fine Art in Archival Cast Rag Paper

An exhibition of works in cast paper by artist Ray Tomasso will be on view in the Byers-Evans House Gallery from April 2 through May 29. Artist receptions will be held during the Golden Triangle Museum District’s First Friday Art Walks, on Friday, April 2, and Friday May 7, from 5 to 9 p.m.

Earth-Friendly Fine Art

Today, all things green and recycled are on the cutting edge in the world of art and design. Colorado artist Ray Tomasso has made cast paper, created from recycled cotton rags and finished with natural pigments, the foundation of a fine art career for the last 35 years. Tomasso is one of an international group of fine artists that began to extensively explore handmade paper as a sculptural medium in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Since 1969, handmade paper has been the focus of Tomasso’s work and he traveled the world studying paper history, materials and techniques. In Düren, Germany, he joined in founding the International Association of Hand Papermakers and Paper Artists (IAPMA), the world’s leading organization of paper artists. Tomasso served as a founding board member, IAPMA’s first vice president and second organizational president.

Ray Tomasso moved to Colorado when his studio in Omaha’s Old Market district was lost to urban renewal and the University of Colorado, Boulder, offered him a printmaking assistantship. He received his MFA from C.U. in 1979.

Though abstract, Tomasso’s work draws its inspiration from the landscape, weather patterns and variations in light. There is also a subtle human presence, a desire to create meaning in a seemingly random universe by measurement and established points of reference.

Ray Tomasso’s fine art is especially at home in settings that value a sustainable and eco-friendly environment. Each piece is created from recycled, biodegradable and renewable plant fibers using historic European hand-papermaking techniques. Tomasso first shreds cotton rags, such as blue jeans, and archival ragboard scraps. He then runs them through a Hollander beater to reduce them to loose fibers. The resulting chemical-free pulp, suspended in water, is formed into sheets of paper on traditional European moulds and deckles. Wet sheets of paper are taken directly from the mould and laid onto compositions of found materials, capturing a detailed reverse impression. Once dry, the cast paper is mounted and painted by Tomasso using primarily natural pigments.

Tomasso’s work has been shown internationally and throughout the United States for the last three decades. This show, Ray Tomasso / New Works in Paper features new pieces created especially for the exhibit.

“Making Paper by Hand from Recycled Materials” a free workshop for children as well as for adults, will be conducted on Saturday, May 1, from 12 to 3 p.m. Materials will be provided.

The Byers-Evans House Gallery - Ray Tomasso / New Works in Paper: Fine Art in Archival Cast Rag Paper - April 2 through May 29. Artist receptions during the Golden Triangle Museum District’s First Friday Art Walks, Friday, April 2 and Friday, May 7, from 5 to 9 p.m.
Gallery open daily, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Closed Sundays. Admission to the Byers-Evans House Gallery is free. Byers-Evans House Museum is open daily, Monday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Guided house tours 10:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. Admission charged. For further information, visit www.coloradohistory.org/be or call 303-620-4933.