When Susan Gosin co-founded Dieu Donné Papermill in a Manhattan loft 50 years ago, she believed hand papermaking could become a powerful contemporary art form, moving beyond the confines of paper as a surface for prints and drawings—but only if she could convince artists to try it.
Chuck Close was one eventual convert, working with collaborators at Dieu Donné to create grayscale gridded portraits—including 2001’s Self Portrait / Pulp—by squirting pigmented paper pulp into individual square cells.
Central to the vision for Dieu Donné was, and continues to be, deep collaboration between visual artists and master papermakers. Master papermakers make studio visits to understand an artist’s body of work, while artists explore Dieu Donné’s extensive archives to see aesthetic possibilities. Then, side-by-side in the studio, artists experiment with wet pulp as the papermakers manage the complex technical steps. “I’ve always believed that it’s very important that the artist’s hand be a part of the process,” says Gosin.
To mark the 50th anniversary of the nonprofit, now located in the Brooklyn Navy Yard, Dieu Donné is showcasing innovative work from its studio in a series of exhibitions and events this fall.
Lynda Benglis, Lunar Hornet, 2023, handmade pigmented abaca paper, embedded aluminum wire, stenciled linen pulp paint, carbon black with acrylic medium, 15 x 12 x 6 in.
