The Making of Wallpaper
Description
Contributors
Media Producer, Carlos De La Rosa
Museum Photographer, Erik Gould
Director, Digital Initiatives, Jeremy Radtke
Graphic Designer, Brendan Campbell
Digital Technologist, Ariel Hirschhorn
Associate Curator, Decorative Arts and Design, Emily Banas
Special thanks to Adelphi Paper Hangings:
Steve Larson, Michele Farwell, Jenn Hanford, and Jack Bryant
Publisher & Date
The RISD Museum recently collaborated with Adelphi Paper Hangings to reproduce this full-scale design from a sample in the museum’s collection. Founded in 1999 in Saratoga Springs, New York, Adelphi is one of the only US companies still printing by hand using woodblocks— the same techniques used to create the historical examples in the Huard collection.
The reproduction process, detailed in the video, offers insight into the journey from concept to finished product. It begins by reducing the design into individual elements based on their color and printed order. Next, the designs for each color are laser-cut into woodblocks and finished by hand. After the colors are matched to those in the original paper, each layer is printed, bringing the design to life.
