"Brands", 1994, book sculpture by Timmothy Barrett, leather, artificial sinew, and rope, 5 x 5 x 2 inches.

After making a number of blank book sculptural forms I wanted to return to a book with written content. I felt that the success of some of my earlier books was due to the inviting physical, visual and even olfactory characteristics of the paper and binding materials. I have always been attracted to leather as a material. Why not make a book entirely of leather? The content addresses the dangerous tribal nature of the human race and our tendency to 'brand' individuals as members of another group.

Timothy Barrett received a BA degree in Art Communications from Antioch College in 1973. His career includes two years working with Kathryn and Howard Clark at Twinrocker Handmade Paper, Inc., two years under a Fulbright Fellowship studying papermaking in Japan, and several years of research on early European handmade papers that was funded by the NEA and the Kress Foundation. Barrett is author of two books, six videotapes and over 20 articles on the history, technique and aesthetics of hand papermaking. He has delivered over 200 lectures nationally and internationally. Barrett joined the School of Art and the UI Center for the Book as paper specialist in 1986 and served as director of the Center between 1996 and 2002. He teaches papermaking history and technique in the papermaking classroom located in the old art building and conducts research on early European papers at a second facility at the UI Oakdale campus.