SPARKS CNF WORKSHOPS

For Colleges & Universities, December 2024

It is a rare opportunity for an artist to work with a material that has not been thoroughly used, tried, taught through pedagogy, placed in the context of art history or even regulated as an art material. The workshop will be an opportunity to work with Softwood Cellulose Nanofiber (CNF). Softwood pulp is ground down to a nano-size particle, suspended in water to make a slurry, then dries and binds into an incredibly light material. This material requires time, and patience, in response it offers endless adaptations. 

Consider the pulp. At its smallest it is so minuscule it is difficult to fathom as there are 100,000 nanos in the width of a hair. When dried it can still alter form as it is hydrophilic. All CNF is made with one form of cellulose or another: hemp, seaweed, oats, eucalyptus. The workshop will work with softwood tree pulp that is compostable. CNF has been used as a binder with other materials and implemented around the world as an alternative material for scientists, and engineers.

There's a responsibility of each participant to play both researcher and learner. Students will write, draw, play. This will be supported to share their observations, assumptions and questions. Self permission to find out is the goal.  As the material is slow to release water, it is best to meet with at least three or more days between. 

We will discuss what working with means, versus control of material, as CNF has its own intentions. The material also opens the ever present conversation on permanence and materiality in art. Built on an artistic research model, with an androgyny framework, curiosity will be supported by ongoing notetaking, drawing, and automatic writing to clarify their research throughout the workshop. Depending on the workshop community’s response we will consider context to concept, materiality, and sense making. Sense making is defined here as the practice of making to think or ruminate. 

Simplified, in our first meeting, we will examine, play, discuss assumptions. A few implements will be provided to ease the drying process, with caveats so that the students find other ways to resolve the water retention. The second meeting will be a revisitation of what we thought we knew, and start the process of aligning the material to their own practice. If we are fortunate enough to meet a third time, we can continue the discussion of what they have researched, comparing notes communally. In a university situation, I am happy to make myself available during studio time.

The material does an impeccable job of testing comfort with the unknown, and often requires the proverbial pivot. Ultimately the workshop can be as philosophical as it is an introduction to a material.  If sense making and the ability to leap, disrupt, switch directions is implemented into another art practice, the workshop is a success. 

The University of Maine, Process Development Center will provide as an inkind donation CNF “cake” which is 15% pulp, 85% water for all students and faculty. Enough material will be provided for continued artistic research outside of the workshop.

The shipping of the material, if not driven, is the responsibility of the workshop location. Samples will be brought in, along with some of the early research and artist examples from the University of Maine. Depending on the instructor's ability to drive to the school, some materials may need to be purchased, or procured. Augusta Sparks travel and teaching fees vary due to location.