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Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge PDF Free Download

Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge PDF free Download. Think more deeply and widely.

Unhinged

BookArtontheCuttingEdge

WhatcomMuseum

Bellingham,Washington

Unhinged

BookArtontheCuttingEdge

WhatcomMuseum

Bellingham,Washington

TheWhatcomMuseumisdelightedtopresent

Unhinged:BookArtonthe

CuttingEdge,

whichintroducestheexcitingwaysartistsinterpretandrepurpose

books.Theexhibitionprovidesauniqueopportunityforpeopletoappreciatethe

multidimensionalaspectofthebookatatimewhenliteracymattersmorethan

everbeforeinourculture.



FromthecentersofNewYorkCity,London,andLosAngelestosmallerlocales

likeAsheville,NorthCarolina;BrynMawr,Pennsylvania;andAvoca,Nebraska;

artistseverywhereareusingbookstoexpressthemselvesandinterprettheworld

welivein.Justlikeauthors,artistshavealottosay!With70verydiﬀerent

examplesofbookarttoconsider,viewerswillexperienceawiderangeof

emotionsandideas.Itisgratifyingtoknowthatusedandrepurposedbookshave

anafterlife.



IwouldliketoacknowledgeBarbaraMatilsky,curatorofart,whocarefully

selectedworktoshowcasetheamazingvarietyofapproachesembracedby

artists.OtherstaﬀmemberswhocontributedtothisprojectincludeRebecca

Hutchins,curatorofcollections;ScottWallin,exhibitiondesigner;DavidMiller,

preparator;MaryJoMaute,educator/programscoordinator;ChristinaClaassen,

marketingandPRmanager;CharlesMarcks,chiefﬁnancialoﬃcer;andMarilyn

Burns,docenteducator.



Manyotherpeoplelenttheirsupport,includingSandraKroupa,bookartsandrare

bookcuratorattheUniversityofWashington;LauraRussell,bookartistand

directorof23SandyGallery;AmyChaloupka,free-lancecurator;ElsiVassdalEllis,

bookartistandprofessorofartatWesternWashingtonUniversity;NancyTupper,

editor;andHeatherPeppard,formerWWUcuratorialintern.



Ahugethankyoutotheexhibition'sparticipatingartistsforlendingtheirworkand

writinginsightfulstatementsabouttheirart.Wearealsogratefultothemany

gallerieswholoanedarttotheexhibition:EleanorHarwoodGallery,Elizabeth

LeachGallery,Foster/WhiteGallery,PPOWGallery,PuckerGallery,SeagerGray

Gallery,andVampandTrampBooksellers.



ThankyoutotheWhatcomMuseumBoardofTrustees,whichcomprisesthe

museum'ssupportingfoundation.Thisexhibitionwouldnotbepossiblewithout

thesupportoftheWhatcomMuseumFoundationandtheCityofBellingham.



PatriciaLeach

ExecutiveDirector

Unhinged:BookArtontheCuttingEdgesurveysrecentdirectionsinbookart

through70diverseworksby61prominentartistsfromAustralia,Canada,Great

Britain,andacrosstheUnitedStates.Theexhibitionexploresthelimitless

potentialofthebookasanindependentmedium,includingbothintimately

scaledpiecesandlargeinstallations.



Unhinged

highlightsmyriadartisticstylesandapproaches.Manyartistscarveold

volumesortwisttheirpagesintounique,sculpturalconﬁgurations.Othersmake

theirownbooksandexperimentwithdiﬀerentformats:accordion,pop-up,tunnel,

andmore.Someartistsreconﬁgureancientbookforms,suchasthescrollor

codex,tocreateuniqueartworks.Booksareoftencombinedwithothermaterials

—bothmanufacturedandnatural,suchasplasticandcrystals—toastonishing

eﬀect.



Althoughtheexhibitiondoesnotframeanhistoricalperspective,itdoesfeature

artistswhorevolutionizedtheﬁeldaswellasyoungerartistswhohavegarnered

internationalrenown.Bookartistspresentlyricalodestobeautyaswellas

messagesaboutidentity,socialjusticeissues,andenvironmentalconcerns.They

conveybothmetaphysicalideasandpoliticalcommentarythroughexpressive

andsometimeshumorousconstructions.

Unhinged

willopenviewers'eyestothecomplexityandculturalsigniﬁcanceof

thebook.Withdigitalmediasurpassingbooksasameansofcommunication,the

ideathatartistscaninfusenewlifeintothistraditionalobjectunderscoresthe

continuedimportanceofthetomeindailylife.Aftervisitingthisexhibition,viewers

willnever"read"abookinthesamewayagain.



BarbaraMatilsky

CuratorofArt

JodyAlexander

LivesinSantaCruz,California



IfSheThoughtItWouldHelp,ZeldaWouldUseHerAntediluvianCurseCachetoAttainHer

Revenge

,2004

Handmadekozoandgampipaper;exposedspinebindings,foundobjects,woodenbox,

encaustic

7x16x7in.

Courtesyoftheartist



InterestingcharactersﬁllmyartworkandsometimesIknowtheirstoryandsometimesIdon't.

Zeldaissomewhereinbetween.Ibelievethatsheisacontemporarygalwhoknowsthe

powersofhernamesake'sbequeathedcursecache.But,shealsoknowswhen,andwhenitis

bestnot,touseit.Inthecaseofrevenge,itissweet,butdoesn'tchangeadarnthing.

JamesAllen

LivesinPortland,Oregon



Machines

,2009

Excavatedbook

Originalbook:

LifeScienceLibrary

,1964

16x131/2in.framed

Courtesyoftheartist



EachBookExcavationbeginsbycuttingaholeinthecoverofabookwithascalpelorX-Acto

blade.Icutmywaythroughthepagesselectivelykeepingfragmentsofimagesandwordsto

createacompositionusingthecontentofthebookasitemerges.Inthisway,asculptural

reliefemergesasIcarvemywaythroughthepages.Thecompositionemergesintuitively.AsI

cut,Iconsiderbothnarrativeandcompositionaldynamicstocreateanewvisionofthebook's

content.IenjoyhowtheseExcavationsturnthelinearformatofabookintoaﬂatwindow

throughwhichtoobservemanypagesatonce.

IslamAly

LivesinIowaCity,Iowa



TheSquare,AlMidan

,2014

Mould-madeJohannotpaper,coloredandlaserengravededges,boundinlaser-etched

woodenboards,EthiopianandCopticbindingwithlinenthread,20sectionswithfourfolios

Editionof40

41/2x41/2x21/2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



TheEgyptianuprisingcalledfordemocraticreform.TahrirSquareinCairobecamethefocal

pointandthemosteﬀectivesymboloftheprotestsinJanuaryandFebruary2011.For18days

Egyptiansrepeatedtheslogan:ThePeopleWanttoBringdowntheRegime(

al-sha`byurid

isqatal-nizam

)untiltheregimesteppeddownonthe11thofFebruary2011.



Thisbookfocusesontherevolutionaryslogan"

al-sha`byuridisqatal-nizam."

UsingArabic

Kuﬁcscript,thewordsofthesloganarerepeatedinanascendingsequence.Section19

containstheEnglishtranslationfortheslogan"ThePeopleWanttoBringdowntheRegime."

Thelastsectioncontainsthetimeanddatewhentheregimesteppeddownalongwiththe

sentence"AlSaa'bAskatalNezam"withitsEnglishtranslation"ThePeoplehaveBrought

downtheRegime."



Cairo'smapislaserengravedonthebookcovers.Threeedgesofthebookarecoloredand

thenlaserengravedtoshowthestreetsofCairo.

TorArcher

LivesinSanFrancisco,California

BookoftheHandIV

,2012

Book,billboard,copper,steel

19x26x2in.framed

CourtesyofSeagerGrayGallery,MillValley,California



BookoftheHandIV

combinesastatementastotheimportanceoftheuseandphysical

evidenceofthehandsinanincreasinglyhands-oﬀcultureandmyfascinationwithancient

andmysterioustexts,scrollsandbooks.Itisalsoapersonalrecollectionofmyyouthinthe

1960sand1970swhenmymotherhadvariousbooksrelatedtoherstudyofpalmistryaround

thehouse.

AlexisArnold

LivesinSanFrancisco,California



TheArtandScienceofJavaScript

,2015

Book,borax

14x13x10in.

Courtesyoftheartist



My

CrystallizedBook

seriesaddressesthematerialityofthebookversusitstextorcontent.

Thecrystalsremovethetextandsolidifythebooksintoaesthetic,non-functionalobjects.The

books,frozenwithheavycrystalgrowth,havebecomeartifactsorgeologicspecimensimbued

withthehistoryoftime,use,andmemory.



Thecrystalsandbookshapessparkasenseofwonderakintoagreatpieceofliterature,like

someofthetitlesIuse,suchastheobsoletesoftwaremanual,

TheArtandScienceofJava

Script

.Theserieswaspromptedbyrepeatedlyﬁndingboxesofdiscardedbooks,bytheonset

ofe-books,andbytheshutteringofbookstores.Whiletheseriesbeganin2011asareactionto

thevulnerabilityofprintedmedia,itseemsthatprintedmediaisenjoyingabitofarenaissance

lately.

LynneAvadenka

LivesinHuntingtonWoods,Michigan



RootWords

,2001

Limitededitionartist'sbook,letterpressprintingandcolorlithography,accordionbinding

Editionof30

93/4x77in.(open)

Courtesyoftheartist

RootWords

isacollaborativeeﬀortbetweenthenotedIslamiccalligrapherMohamed

Zakariyaandmyself.Thegoalwastolookforcommonalitiesinourrespectivecultures,

JudaismandIslam.ThisstructurallycomplexbookinterpretsintertwinedwordsintheHebrew

andArabiclanguagesonseverallevels.



Sevenrelatedwordsarecalligraphedbyeachofus(IdidtheHebrew,Mohameddidthe

Arabic)asthecenterpieceofthework,mountedagainstabackgroundofexplanatorytexton

oneside,andinterpretativeworksoffree-formcalligraphyontheother.Iwrotethetext,

combiningourresearch,anddrewtheaccompanyingimages,usingbothHebrewandArabic

letterforms.ThesimilaritiesintheArabicandHebrewlanguages—botharebasedonathree-

letterrootwordsystem—mightmakelanguagetherootoftheproblembetweenthetwo

culturesaswellasapossiblesolution.

AlisaBanks

LivesinDallas,Texas

Edges



(ThreadWrap)

,2009

Alteredbook;paper,leather,synthetichair

Edition#4of4(unique)

7x91/2x31/2in.

CourtesyofVampandTramp,LLC,Birmingham,Alabama

Edges

isaseriesofalteredbooksthatconsistofhaircrochetedontotheedgeofpages.The

hairﬁberlendstextureandline—theembellishment(theaction)occursonlyontheedges,

whichsymbolizethemarginal,theend,thebetween,andduality.

The

Edges

seriesisbasedonAfricanAmericanancestrybraidedstyles.Eachbookfeaturesa

diﬀerent"hairstyle."Thepieceswerecreatedduringatimewhentherewasmuchpolitical

dialogueonthenational,stateandlocallevelsconcerning(illegal)immigration.Oftenthe

dialoguetookanunderlyingtoneofintoleranceandhadlittletodowithimmigrationstatus.

Thetonesofintolerance(whichwerecross-cultural),remindedmeofgrowingupinthe1960s

and1970sduringintegration.Thehairtreatmentsymbolizeshowmuchactivity,creativityand

lifehappensonthe"edges"ofmainstreamsociety,regardlessofwhetherornotitis

recognized.

CaraBarer

LivesinHouston,Texas



Rainbow

,2013

Archivalinkjetprintonpaper

37x37in.framed

CourtesyofFoster/WhiteGallery,Seattle,Washington

Ihavebeenworkingwiththebookasmymainsubjectforseveralyears.I'veexpanded

ontheoriginalideabyincludingnewsources.Paperfrommagazinesandnewspapers,

text,alongwithmapsandphotomontagearesubjectedtomyownformof

"interbreeding."Ibeginwithanideathatusuallycomesfromascrap—literallyscrap—of

text,andItakeoﬀfromthere.



Theinspirationcouldcomefromthedictionary,astorythatI’mreading,somethingIsaw

ontheinternet,orevenapassingremarkmadebyafriend.Iwanttocreateatheatrewith

myimages.Itwillbeuniqueforeveryviewerbecauseitcanonlyexistintheirown

imagination,anditwillbeuniquebecausemyimagesdonotcomefromonlythe

physicalworldaroundus.Theyareamixtureofobjects,words,paper,andmythoughts.

HarrietBart

LivesinMinneapolis,Minnesota



TheWords

(from

TheAlchemist's

Laboratory

),1994

Glassﬂask,goldleaf,textsphere,book

(JeanPaulSartre's

TheWords

,1963),

laboratoryrodandstand

40x10x15in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Ibelieveinthealchemyoftheword,the

iconographyoftext,thelabyrinthofthe

book.



Fromdrosstogold

Fromcarpentersandmasonstoolsto

objectsofdivination

Frommetalscraptoreliquarybox

Booksrescuedfromﬁrebecomestablets

ofwisdom

Booksalteredandminedformyriad

objectsoffactandﬁction

Emptyframes,openbowls,

ABRACADABRA



Isthatnotart?Or,perhapsmagic?



Iseemyselfasaconceptualartistworking

acrossdisciplinesinavarietyofmedia.I

createevocativecontentthroughthe

narrativepowerofobjects,thetheaterof

installation,andtheintimacyofartists'

books.Ihaveadeepandabidinginterestin

thepersonalandculturalexpressionof

memory;itisatthecoreofmywork.Using

bronzeandstone,woodandpaper,books

andwords,everydayandfoundobjects,I

worktosignifyasite,markanevent,and

drawattentiontoimprintsofthepastas

theyliveinthepresent.

DougBeube

LivesinNewYorkCity

BorderCrossing:IntheWarRoom

,2006

Alteredatlas,thread,zippers,piping,metal,wire

48x48x5in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Thepagesofanatlasarecutintoequalhalvesandaluminumzippersarestitchedintothem.

Anumberofmapsrepresentingavarietyofcountriesareconnectedusingadditional

zippersoneachendofthepages.Thecolorfulpages,withreliefviewsoflandformations

andbodiesofwaterwithabstractmarkings,canbefastenedorre-connectedinnumerous

combinations.Iamexpandingthenotionoftheversatilecodex,whichtraditionallyhasa

ﬁxednumberofpagesboundtogetherwithacommonspine.Asystemofusingzippersis

endless;pagescanbeadded,deletedorinterchangedatwill.



Thepagescanbeviewedonasingleplainortheycanbeconstructedasprismsandother

shapes.Byexaggeratingtheﬂatspaceintopeaksandvalleysandgeographicalbordersthat

representthesealterations,theybecomemalleable.Theinspirationtoconstruct

Border

Crossing

inadigitalageisbaseduponcomputersoftwareprograms,whichusesthe

technologyof"cutting"and"pasting,"transformingapredeterminedalignmentofinformation

tobevariable.

JulieChen

LivesinBerkeley,California



Panorama

,2008

Assortedpapers,bookcloth,binder'sboard,magnets;letterpressprintedusingwoodblocks

andphotopolymerplates,housedinaclamshellbox

Editionof100

91/2x201/4x11/4in.(5ft.fullyextended)

Courtesyoftheartist



Panorama

explorestheissueofclimatechangefromanartist’sperspective,simultaneously

expressinghopeandhelplessnessinthefaceofthisgrowingcrisis.Openingtoafullwidthof

5feet,

Panorama

engulfsthereader/viewerinanexperiencebothmovingandsurprisingwith

largeformatpop-upsandinteractivefoldedsectionsthatinterlacepersonalthoughtwith

aspectsofamoreuniversalreality.

Long-BinChen

LivesinNewYorkCity

Liszt

from

PortraitsofCulturalIcons

series,2013

Englishbooks

32x32x16in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Theprocessofmyartisticcreationbringsabouttheunderlyingemotionsthroughcuttingand

reconstructing;theseactionsrevealthecriticismtowardscultureandculturalcreations...At

thismomentoftime,theITgenerationhastakenoverourlives,heraldingtheendofbooks.

Withpaperbeingdiscardedorrecycled,booksarenolongertheonlymediumtocontainand

passonknowledge.Duetomyspecialfondnessforbooks,Ihavegatheredandutilizedthem

inmywork,transferringthemediumbacktoitsoriginalstateaswoodwithanappearanceof

stoneormarble.



MycareerstartedinTaiwan,andIcompletedtheﬁneartsprogramduringtheperiodwhile

martiallawwasimposed...In1992,IleftTaiwanforNewYorktopursuemyartistic

development...I'vecometorealizethatTaiwan'soﬃcialinstitutionalbooksweredeliberately

deceiving.Theactionofdestroyingbooksatthesametimemakingartbecameaself-

deliverancefromtheculturaltrauma.

MorseClary

LivesinPasco,Washington



StudyinContrast

,2015

Walnut,cedar,pigment,paduak

8x131/2x51/2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Thisseriesofworkisaninvestigationofthe"book"asasculpturalmetaphor.Havingtaught

visualartsatthecollegelevelfor32years,Ihaveagreatloveandrespectforbooksas

embodimentsandconveyorsofideas,stories,information,andotherpotentials.Ialsoenjoy

theirtactilequalitiesoftexture,weight,andsubstance.



Theconceptofthesebooksisoutsideofthetraditionalandexpectedand,therefore,they

mustbereaddiﬀerently.Thesuggestionisthatcertainmeaningsarebeyondwordsandcan

onlybeconveyedviathevisualandtactileelementsthatarethelanguageofthevisualarts.

Theviewersmustextendframesofreferenceandrespondtosubstanceandnuance.



Often,foundobjectsappear,mostofthemfromthenaturalenvironment,whichhasalways

informed,amazedandinspiredmewithitsgreatmysteriesandbeautifulsolutionsto

problemsofform,color,texture,andline.ThereisoccasionallyamusicalreferenceasIoften

hearcompositionasawayofseeing/feelingmywaytoit.



Thechallengeistoapproachanopenvolumeasifitwaswrittenbytheonlyspeakerofan

unknownlanguageand,usingone’sownframeofreferenceforthecuesembeddedthere,

attempttotelloneselfastory.

SusanCollard

LivesinPortland,Oregon

LifeStoriesofDyingPenitents,

2000

Alteredbookwithgouacheandpapercollageoncorrugatedcardboardpages,etchedmirror,

zincplate,sewingmachineparts,glassjars,andotherfoundobjects

7x5x11/2in.(closed)

Courtesyoftheartist



ThiswastheﬁrstofseveralbooksI’vedonewithsculpturalaccordion-foldpagesunfolding

fromthecoverofanolderbook.Forme,alteringabookisachancetoremakeitasitmight

havebeen.



Iwasdrawntothelovelycoverofthiswork,publishedin1888,byanurbanmissionary.It

seemedstrangelyatoddswiththemaudlin,sermonizingtalesinside.Iworkedtoculllyrical

fragmentsfromthetext,addingimagesandobjectstoevokeamoreopen-endedversionof

itsVictorianmelancholy.

JenniferCollier

LivesinStaﬀord,England



Curly-LocksGloves

,2011

Vintagenurseryrhymebookpages,wax,

buttons,machinestitching

133/4x133/4in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Myworkhasledthewayintheupcycling

revolutioninartandcraft.Iamaveteran

makerofvintagematerial,investigatingthe

re-usedandrecycledsince1999.Giving

newlifetothingsthatwouldotherwisego

unlovedorbethrownawayiscentraltomy

practice.



Welcometomyfantasticalworld,where

everyexquisitedetailismade,foldedand

manipulatedfrompaper.Oncebooks,

maps,envelopes,wallpaperorscrap,the

paperistransformedintotexturalforms.

Likecloth,itisstitchedtoconstructtwo-or

three-dimensionalobjects,decorativeand

functional:lampshades,cameras,tools,and

furniture.Theoriginofthepaperoften

providesastartingpointfortheartwork:the

narrativeofthebooksandpaperssuggesting

ideaandform.



Myworkusestheideaofthedomesticspace

tosetastageforthework:upholstered

chairs,kitchenutensils,andgardentools

hangingintheirshedinviteyouin.

Referencestofairytales,ﬁlms,literature,

musicandnurseryrhymes—thelayersof

paperandmeaningtogetherbuildthe

narrative.

BéatriceCoron

LivesinNewYorkCity

NYCRedux

,2012

CutArchespaper,accordionstructure

Editionof3

63/4x37in.(fullyextended)

Courtesyoftheartist

NYCRedux

startedwhenIheard"duckshow"insteadof"dogshow"whilehurricaneSandy

waseverywhereinthenews.Inthisbook,IdevelopedascenarioofNewYorkCityadaptingto

awaterlifewithpetducks.



Myworktellsstories.Iinventsituations,citiesandworlds.Thesecompositionsinclude

memories,associationsofwords,ideas,observationsandthoughtsthatunfoldinimprobable

juxtapositions.Theseinventedworldshavetheirownlogicandpatterns.Imagesareconveyed

throughwords,whetherautomaticwritingorpremeditatedscenes.Mycreativeinspiration

comesfromatext,apoem,thenews,orfromaphilosophicalconceptthatcanbereducedto

ameretitle.Iresearchcollectivememoriesandmyths,questioningthenotionsofidentityand

belonging.Foreachtheme,Iexplorevariousnarratives:onestoryleadstothenext,andthe

creationprocessweavesdiﬀerentlayersofourrelationstotheworld.



MysilhouettesarealanguageIhavedevelopedovertheyears;mypointofviewisboth

detailedandmonumental.Cuttingfromasinglepieceofmaterial,theprofusionofindividual

storiescreatesacoherentuniverse.Inmyartistbooksandpublicart,whereIplaywithfulland

emptyshapes,everythingmustfallinplace:one’splaceintheworld,one’splaceinthecity,

one’splaceinhisorherbody.Inmygraphicstyle,windowsareusednottoseeoutbutin,

placingthespectatorinanoutsider/insidersituation.Shadows,reminiscentofﬁlmnoirand

voyeurism,leaveroomformultipleinterpretations.

CaseyCurran

LivesinSeattle,Washington



TestDrive

,2015

Books,wire,wood,rope

24x24x8in.

Courtesyoftheartist



It’sabigoceanoutthere,andweshouldalllearnhowtoplaynicelywitheachother



Test

Drive

combinestextfromseveralbookscoveringfromshipprotocolontheopenocean,to

winningfriendsandinﬂuencingpeople.Akineticassemblyisoverlaidonthesetopics,

mimickingtheundulatingmotionofanoceanwaveandtheswimmingmotionofagreatwhite

shark.Thesentimentandintentisthatattimesweallwishtobethesharkratherthanthe

minnow.

ClaireDannenbaum

LivesinEugene,Oregon



Coverlet:ALover’sDiscourse

,2013

Bookpages,quiltbatting,cottonfabric,thread,satinbindingtape

54x82in.

Courtesyoftheartist



TheideaforaquiltedcoverletsimmeredforweeksbeforeIcouldcomeupwithamethodto

actuallymakeitwork.Thiscoverletismadefromthepagesof

Fragmentsd’undiscours

amoureux

(or

ALover’sDiscourse:Fragments

)byRolandBarthes.IusedaFrenchedition

publishedin1978byEditionsduSeuil,Paris.ItlooksidenticaltomyowncopyinEnglish,

includingthemultiplefontsusedforheaders,footnotes,andauthorreferencesused

throughout.

Thepagesaresoftandfeellikeﬂannel.Icarefullycrumpledeachpageuntilthepaperwas

pliableandﬂexibleenoughtosewtogether.IlearnedthismethodasachildinTexas,making

"Indianclothes"frombrownpapergrocerybags.Therigidpaperbaggetsmoreﬂexibleasitis

repeatedlycrumpledanddistressed,creatingaleather-likefabric.Thequiltedpagesare

sewninstraightrowsofrectangles(trimmedminimally)fromtheoriginalpages.Thereisafelt

andcottonbattingbetweenthereadablesurfaceandthecottonbacking.Theedgesare

trimmedwithblanketbindingtape.

AndreaDeszö

LivesinNewYorkCity



MantisRestinginUtopianCity

,2008

Tunnelbookwithcottonragpaper,linenthread,acrylicpaint

11x111/2x121/2in.(box)

CourtesyofPuckerGallery,Boston,Massachusetts



Inmydrawings,papercutsandpaintings,Itellstories.Myvisualnarrativesrangefromthe

mysticaltotheabsurdandIoftenusetraditionaltechniquestoexpressnon-traditionalor

subversivecontent.Iamdrawntothevisuallyunusual,weavingtogetherpsychological,

historicalandornamentalthemes,andﬁndunspeakablebeautyinthenaturalworld.

SometimesinmydreamsIﬂy,althoughnotasoftenaswhenIwasachildinRomania.ThenI

ﬂeweverynight.

BrianDettmer

LivesinNewYorkCity



CurrentCultureMedium

,2015

Hardcoverbook,acrylicvarnish

101/8x9x21/2in.

CourtesyofPPOWGallery,NewYork



CurrentCultureMedium

isasinglebookworkderivedfromacopyofthe23rdEditionof

Dorland'sIllustratedMedicalDictionary

(1957).Aprocessofdissectionintothebodyofthe

bookrevealsfragmentsoftext,anatomyandmicroscopicdetailsthatbecomeopento

interpretationwhentheoriginalcontextisremoved.



Thetitleoftheworkisexposedfrompageheadersfoundwithin,oﬀeringastatementor

questionontheculturalrelevanceofthemediumofthebook,whilealsosuggestinga

connectiontoanewerbranchofartthatuseslivingculturesasthemedium.Fragmentsof

livingtissueoﬀeranewmediumfornewdiscoveries.Representationsareperceivedasliving

thingsonlywhentheyarefunctionalandrelevant,forminganecessitytoﬁndnewwaysto

sparkapotentialforgrowth.

TimothyEly

LivesinColfax,Washington

TheJupiterEﬀect

,2004

Fullleatherandgold-tooledbinding;ﬁve

folios

121/8x71/2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



In2004,IhadanexhibitionatWhitman

Collegeentitled

TheTablesofJupiter

.I

madeanumberoflargedrawingstofollow

thatlineofinquirywhichorbitedthenotion

ofthemagicsquareofJupiterandthegrid.

Whiledoingtheworkfortheshow,Ifelta

glimmerofanideaofwhatIwouldwantto

seeonablackleatherbook—anelaborate

roundelexpressioningoldleaf.These

circularmotifsweredesignedandtooled

ontwobooksandthemandala-likeform,

expressedincribriformmarks,numbers

andothersymbols,wouldbecomealong-

used,potentdevice.Thiswasperfect—

herewasadesignwhichwouldbestbe

expressedingoldonpolishedleather.



Myinventionofthedrumleafbindinggave

meameanstomakemobileaseriesof

ideasinfolioform.Thebookstructurewas

evolvingnicelyandseemedlikeitcouldbe

completelycoveredinleather.Afullleather

bookhasagorgeousgestaltandinthis

noveldeparturefromconventional

structure,Iwantedablackleatherbook

withatraditionalshapewhichcould

receivethemandalaofgold.

Embryo

was

themodelforthinkingandtheﬁrstbook

madewiththistreatment.

TheJupiter

Eﬀect

,fullydeveloped,followed.

DanielEssig

LivesinAsheville,NorthCarolina



Fish-Eye

,2015

Handcarvedandpaintedmahogany,holly,handmadepaper,mica,shellac,nails,18th-and

19th-centurytextpages,ambrotypes,tintype,watchcrystals,antiquegears,fossils,bonesand

otherrelics;EthiopianandCopticbindings

12x11x51/2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Fish-Eye

ispartofaseriesofsculpturalbooksaddressingmymostpassionateinterests—

collectingandstudyingfreshwaterﬁsh.Asahighschoolstudent,Iworkedataretailaquarium.

Asaphotographymajorincollege,Ijoinedbiologygraduatestudentsontheirresearchtrips

toriversacrosstheMidwest,takingphotographsoftheirﬁnds.



Photographyledmetobooks:InitiallyIplannedtomakehandmadepaper,printmyimages,

andthenbindthemintoabook.Ineverachievedthatgoal,butpursuingitexposedmetothe

joysofbookmaking—especiallytothewoodenEthiopian/Copticbookstructure.



FishEye

—referencesacameralensthatproducesadistortedview—bringstogethermy

passionsforﬁshandbooks.Withambrotypes,antiquegears,andwatchcrystals,thepiece

exploresthefascinatingwaysthattimereshapesourvision.

KotaEzawa

LivesinSanFrancisco,California

PaperSpace

,2011

Handmadelimitededitionbook

73/4x10in.

CourtesyofSeagerGrayGallery,MillValley,California



PaperSpaceisafour-pagepop-upbookconsistingofpapercut-outdioramasbasedon

ﬁlmandTVdepictionsofhistoriceventsfromthemid-nineteenthcenturytothepresent.

ThedioramascreateatimelineofeventsthathavedisruptedandconfusedAmerica’sview

ofitself.



PageoneshowswitnessesofAbrahamLincoln’sassassinationin1865atFordTheatre.The

seconddioramare-createsJohnF.Kennedy’slimousinepassingthegrassyknollinDallas

in1963.PagethreepresentsO.J.Simpsonandhislegalteamawaitingthereadingofhis

1995criminaltrialverdict.ThelastdioramarecreatestheinfamousbrawlatAuburnPalace

inDetroit,involvingplayersoftheIndianaPacers,theDetroitPistons,andfansattendingthe

2003NBAgame.EachdioramaisbasedonastillframeofawidelycirculatedﬁlmorTV

program,whilesimultaneouslyreferencinganexistinganimatedﬁlmbyEzawa(

The

UnbearableLightnessofBeing

,2005;

TheSimpsonVerdict

,2002;

Brawl

,2008).

DonaldGlaister

LivesonVashonIsland,Washington



BROOKLYNBRIDGE:ALoveSong,

(AP#7),2002

Sandedaluminum,silkscreenprinting,acrylicpaint,wire,aluminumtape,laminatedpolyester

ﬁlmandsand;Nigeriangoatskinbindingwithsandedaluminumsides;28pages

Limitededitionof60books,ofwhich10areheld

horscommerce



14x26in.

Courtesyoftheartist



BROOKLYNBRIDGE:ALoveSong

isavisualandpoeticcelebrationofthegraceandstrength

ofthetalleststructureinNewYorkCity,andthelongestspaneverbuilt,whenconstruction

wascompletedin1883.ThebookvisuallyandemotionallytellsthestoryoftheGreatBridge.It

istrulyalovesong.Itsingsasongincolor,textureandlightoftheelegance,powerand

inventionofthisgreatAmericanicon.

RebeccaGoodale

LivesinPortland,Maine

Clematis

,2010

Cutoutsandpop-upstructure;hand

coloredsilkscreenprints,clothbound,

ribbontieclosures

Editionof5

81/2x82in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist



Clematis

continuesmy

Threatenedand

Endangered

seriesinabroadsense.The

vinehasbeenclassiﬁedasarareplantby

thestateofMaine.



Thistall,cascadingbookrepresentsthe

genusClematis.Idrewfromtwoplants,

onewasMaine'srareClematisoccidentalis.

TheotherwasClematisalpina,whichI

drewwhilevisitingMontanainJune2010.In

bothspeciestheblossomsarethecolorof

theskyandlookasifﬂecksoftheskyare

presentinthedenseshadowsofthe

undergrowth.

MariEcksteinGower

LivesinRedmond,Washington



CircleorZero

,2014

Inkjetprintedfromoriginalpenandinkpaintings

121/4x162in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist



SacredorProfane?Itdependsonone’spointofview.Inmybook,Icomparescientiﬁcversus

themetaphysicalviewpoints.Todothis,I’veexamineddiﬀerentideasaboutcreation,

contrastingapanoramictimelineoftheBigBang/evolution(scientiﬁc)viewwithaltarpiece

inserts(metaphysical).I’veusedsuchsourcesastheBible,ancientEgyptianincantations,the

Rig-Veda,PoeticEdda,PopolVuhandtheHawaiianKumulipo.



DeborahGreenwood

LivesinTacoma,Washington



Re-creation

,2014

Papercutting,laidintriangularpapercase,button-and-tieclosure

16in.diameter(extended)

CourtesyofVampandTrampBooksellers,LLC,Birmingham,Alabama



Thetitleforthisbookisaplayofwords:recreation,anactivityofleisure,leisurebeing

discretionarytime;andre-creation,anactofcreatinganeworreconstruction.

TheideaforthisbookwasbornwhileonaworkingsabbaticalinOxbow,Michigan.My

recreationledtothere-creationofafavoritepastimeforchildren.



Thecollagesthatmakeupthistoroidalstructurearecomposedofimagesfromtheoriginal

Erectorsetcatalog.Iscanned,enhanced,colored,andlaserprintedthepiecesontoKozo

paper.Thecutelementsweregluedontosilktissuepaperthathadbeenlaidoverthetopof

apattern.Whenbothsidesofthebookwerecompleted,thewhitespacewascutawaywith

abladetoenhanceasenseofspacebetweenthebeams.Thesilkatthecoreofthetwo

collagescreatesastrongstructure.

AnnHamilton

LivesinColumbus,Ohio



Afterword

,2014

Paperbackbookslices,wood,bookbinder'sadhesive

8x8x5in.

CourtesyoftheartistandElizabethLeachGallery,Portland,Oregon



Thetimewespendinwordsisenormous.Atanymomentwemightbespeaking,reading,

writing,orlisteningtoandwithwords.Writingisoneofthecentralwaysculturemakesand

recordsitself.Forme,textilesareanother.Theyaretwosidesofthesamecloth.WhatIlovein

theexperienceandprocessofreadingisthebeingimmersed,thefallingintothefold

betweentwopages,thebeingcompletelyinthesomewhereelsethatisthebook.This

abilitytosimultaneouslybebothhereandfaraway,tobebothinsideandoutsideparallelsthe

conditionofbeingabody.Whilereadingabookmightforeverchangeus,itseems

paradoxicalthattheactofreading,itself,doesn’tleaveavisiblephysicalmark.Ihavecometo

wonderhowtheinvisibleexperiencethatistheactofreadingmightbecomeaformof

materializedmaking,howthewayonereadsmightbethoughtofasaformofdrawing.The

relationshipbetweenalineofthreadandalineoftextarecentral,structuringaspectsofmy

work.Perhapsitisthewordsthatallowustotravelandthetactilethreadsthatkeepushere.

ShireenHolman

LivesinMontgomeryVillage,Maryland

Time

,2013

Paperpulppainting,woodcut,letterpress

Editionof20

191/4x233/4in.(open)

Courtesyoftheartist



Thisbookexploreshowwethinkabouttime,fromtheperspectivesofart,religion,literature,

andscience.Ordinarilywethinkoftimeintermsofourlifetimes,movinginonedirection.We

trytocreatewaysofmeasuringtimeconcretely,withclocksandcalendars.Sundialsmeasure

timebytheirownshadows.Timecastslongshadows;weareallsubjecttoitsinevitable

ravages.Timecanbeﬂeeting,eternal,orelastic.Itisunstable.Whenyoutrytopinpointa

momenttounderstandit,ithasgone.



Thebook’simagesfadeinandoutoffocus,asdoesourgraspofthemeaningoftime.In

Hinduism,timeisthoughttobeanecessaryconditionofgrowthanddecay,andisconsidered

cyclical.TimeisalsoseenasamanifestationofGod.InWesternscience,timeisnot

independent,butispartofafour-dimensionalspace-timecontinuum.Perhapstimeitselfhad

abeginningandwillhaveanend.Peopletrytoconquertimebycreatingworksthatlastwell

beyondtheirlifetimes.

PaulJohnson

LivesinCheshire,England



LiftedEyes

,2012

360-degreepop-upcarouselbook;SaundersWaterfordwatercolorpaper,industrialtextile

dyes,penandinkwork,goldinlays

20x19x5in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Istartedmakinguniquepop-upbooksinthe1980sbutsince2012theyhavebeensculptural

codices.Therearenofolds;allthepop-upsectionsarejoinedwithdovetailsandinterlocking

joints.Thecoversarejoinedwithpaperpianohinges.Mythemesderivefromnaturalforms,

traditionalstoriessuchas"OldMotherHubbard,"orareBiblical(Noah'sArk,Jonahandthe

Whale).



Ican’tgetstartedonabookuntilIgetthetextﬁxed.

LiftedEyes

isanimprovisedpoem,a

reﬂectiononwhatevercomesintomyheadwhenIbeginanewbookproject.Thestory,if

thereisone,israthersurrealisticandIletmysubconscioustakecontrolasideasemerge...

Thisisnotalwaysthecasewithmybooks.



Ithastakenoveronehundredandﬁftyhourstomakethispiece...Inspirationcomesfrom

medievalEuropeanreligiousart,theartofSoutheastAsia,andthebuildingsoftheSpanish

architectAntoniGaudi.

SunYoungKang

LivesinBrynMawr,Pennsylvania



ToFindtheOneWay

(detail):다시만날때까지,2007

(Untilwemeetagain,Iwillbetryingtoﬁndtheoneway.)

Incenseburnedon1,080piecesofOkawarapaper(1x1in.to3x3in.)on15-ft.shelf

Courtesyoftheartist



Asinallmyprojects,thisworkbeginswithapersonalexperience.

ToFindtheOneWay

is

devotedtomyfatherwhohaspassedaway.Thestructureisanextensionofoneofmy

bookworks,whichareinspiredbytheBuddhistideaofthenumber108.Ratherthanusinga

bookstructure,Iinstalledeachpageinaspaceandextendedthenumberfrom108to1,080.

Themakingofthispiecebecamearitual,withtheﬁnalpresentationofanartifact.Oneach

piecearerenderingsoftheChinesecharacter

Tao

,whichhasvariousmeanings,including

"path"or"way."Adiﬀerenthistoricsealengraverorcalligrapherdesignedeachcharacter.

Burningincensewasusedtomakethenegativespaceoneachpage,creatingabsence,

whichrepresentsdeathorloss.Whenlit,theabsencecreatesashadow.Tome,thisshadow

hastriplesigniﬁcance;itdrawsattentiontothenegativespace,andtheabsencethespace

suggests,anditcallstomindmemoriesoftheonewhoisabsent.Everycharacterof

emptinessonthepapercreates1,080diﬀerentwaysorpaths.Eachofthepathsconnects

absenceandpresence,thepastandthenow,thelossandthememories,anddeathandlife.

JenniferEvansKinsley

LivesinGranville,Ohio



Exclusion

,2000

Alteredbookwithlassoedtext,cutsectionshingedwithsupercloth,coveredphasebox;

Rick’sBoyScoutkerchief

9x12x12in.

Courtesyoftheartist



MybigbrotherRickwasanartist,musicianandmychildhoodconﬁdantandprotectorwho,at

theageof43,diedofAIDS.

Exclusion

addressesWells-Petrie’spremisethatthosewithsame-

genderpreferenceshouldbeexcludedfromUSmilitaryandanyotherformofcommunity

service.Publishedin1993,thebookfollowsthe1992SupremeCourtCase

BoyScoutsof

Americav.Dale.

In1990,theBoyScoutsofAmericarevokedformerEagleScoutandassistant

scoutmasterJamesDale'sadultmembershipupondiscoverythathewasahomosexualanda

gayrightsactivist.



Ialteredthebooksbycuttingthrough,reshapingandrebindingthetextblock,renderingthe

author’smessageunreadable.Inaddition,Ilassoedtext,reversingandreplacingmanyofher

negativeviewsregardingthesuitabilityofgaysforpositionsofservicewithphrasesthat

describetheuniversalqualitiesthatthosewithnon-standardgenderpreferencessharewith

allhumanity.MybrotherwastheﬁrstAIDSpatientinFairﬁeldCounty,Ohio.Rickwasastaunch

peaceactivist,leadingprotestsagainsttheVietnamWarinthefountainsquareofhis

hometownofLancaster.Hewasagentle,loving,andgeneroussoul.Imisshimstill.

LisaKokin

LivesinElSobrante,California

Fret

,2010

Self-helpbookparts,mull,thread

56x511/4in.

CourtesyoftheartistandSeagerGrayGallery,MillValley,California



Yearsago,whilevisitingmyelderlymotherintheskillednursingfacilitywhereshelived,I

noticedthatthebednexttohersdidnothaveasheetandthatthenameofthemattresswas

PanaceaPlus.Howironic,Ithought,giventhesetting.Whatisthepanaceaforoldage

anyway?Andhowcansomethingbemorethanapanacea?Ihadagoodchucklepondering

thosequestions.



Inmyseriesmadefromtheself-helpbooksIﬁndatthelocalrecyclingcenter,Iam

continuallystruckbyallthevariouspanaceaspromisedbythebooks.Anyailmentor

predicamentcanbecuredorresolved,oftenwithinaspeciﬁedamountoftime,bythesmiling

persononthedustjacket.



Thetitleofmypiece,

Fret

,isadoubleentendre,referringbothtothepatternoftheredand

bluerectanglesandthefeelingofworryoranxietywhichleadsustoattempttoﬁndquick

solutionstoourproblems.Icutupthespinesofredandblueself-helpbooksandthensewed

themtogetherintorectanglesinpatchworkfashion.Ithenarrangedtheminthetraditionalfret

patternandstitchedthemalltogether,hopefullycreatingeternalhappinessfortheviewerin

ﬁvedaysorless.

JamesR.Koss

LivesinSeattle,Washington



WaterDrop

,2008

Letterpresstext,Japanesepapercollage,boundwithKodaiNishikiYuzenMomigamipapers

overmuseumboard,hingedwithJapanesebookclothsewnwithsilkcord

11x28in.

CourtesyofVampandTrampBooksellers,LLC,Birmingham,Alabama



Waterdrop

tooldleaf

pliedthin

rocktier

smoothedto

shimcrack

KarenKunc

LivesinAvoca,Nebraska

OﬀeringTime

(detail),2001

Letterpress,reductionwoodcutonshaped

JapaneseNishinouchipaper,accordion

folded,self-folderofintaglioprinteddots

andwatercolorwashes,housedin

sharkskin-paper-coveredfoliobox,10

pages;songsbyRabindranathTagore

Editionof50

63/4x78in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist



Thisartist'sbookcreatesafallingpathway

ofexuberantcolorandimagestoevoke

thepatternsofthepassageoftime.

RabindranathTagore'sprosetranslations

fromhisBengalisongsin1913speakwith

aninnervoicethatseeksanunderstanding

oftimeandacceptanceofone'splacein

theeternalcycle.



Ihavebeeninspiredbythevisual

impressionsofmyowntravelto

BangladeshandkeyimagesfromTagore's

words—theevolutionofawildﬂower,the

mazeofshadowsandlight,aredlotus,and

thewindingpath.Theundulatingvertical

columnofshapedpaperisforvertical

display.Thesongsareprintedletterpress

in11pointRomulus,andthereduction

woodcutsareprintedfrombirchblocks.

HediKyle

LivesinPineHill,NewYork



FoldOutGeometry

,2003

Plastic,paper;stenciled,drawing,collage

61/2x21/2x11/2in.(closed)

Courtesyoftheartist



Myworkfocusesonthebookasathree

dimensionalobject,stillholdingtracesof

historicalpredecessors.Iamdrawnto

unusualformstofreethebookofits

traditionalpurpose,toexplorenewwaysof

readingandviewing.ItakeinwhatI

observe,experiment,adapt,anddivertto

re-built.Itakethefreedomtoconcoct

featuresandmaterialsfrommanysources.

Thebookasamechanicalobjectof

extraordinarydiversityneverlosesits

fascinationandinspiresmetoanongoing

questforformandfunction.

GuyLaramée

LivesinMontreal,Canada



ColdMountainPoem

,2013

Carvedbooks

20x22x8in.

CourtesyofFoster/WhiteGallery,Seattle,Washington

NOROADTOHANSHAN

Asforme,IdelightintheeverydayWay,

Amongmist-wrappedvinesandrockycaves.

HereinthewildernessIamcompletelyfree,

Withmyfriends,thewhiteclouds,idlingforever.

Thereareroads,buttheydonotleadtotheworld;

SinceIammindless,whocanrousemythoughts?

OnabedofstonesIsit,aloneinthenight,

WhilethemoonclimbsupColdMountain.

–HanShan,9thcentury



DeeplytouchedbyHanShan’spoetry,Ihumblytried,nottoillustratethem,buttopaintand

carvefromtheveryplacewherehestood.HanShanshowedmethateveryplacecanbea

ColdMountain,everypersonahermitandeverymomentamoonlightparty.

JacquelineRushLee

LivesinKaneohe,Hawaii



Vascellum

,2012

Manipulatedbookcomponents,archivalglue

15x15x141/2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Vascellum

isfromaseriesinspiredbytheLatinterm

InMediaRes

referringtostoriesthat

begin,proceedandendinthemiddle,alludingtoourown,orsomeoneelse’sstoryintime.I

wasinspiredbythecontentandthegraphicsofthesculpture’scorebook,

Meditationsin

Universe

byPaulMonka.



ThisartworkincorporatesmaterialsthatIhavebeenﬁndingincontemporarybookssuchas

softfoam,corrugatedpaperandlightplastics—(althoughthereisnoplasticinthisform)—

sealedwithencyclopediccovers.Visually,Iamexploringthenatureofthecontemporary

bookforminaKindleageandhowcontemporarybookgraphicsandmaterialshavereshaped

myownthinkingabout"bookishness,"whichIoriginallyhadperceivedtobeofaged,muted,

vintage-likebooksthatIhadexploredinearlierseriesofworksseventeenyearsago.

Conceptually,thisworkexploresthebookasavesselanddocumentthatbearstracesofthe

originaltextwithinitsframework,butpossessesanewnarrativeasavisualdocumentof

anothertime.

RachelMauser

LivesinLouisville,Kentucky



MountainTopRemoval:TheTragedyoftheHoller

,2015

Copticbinding,silkscreen,cutCrane'sletters

6x22x6in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Iamastoryteller.Iremember.Irecord.Iinvent.Usingexperiencesandmemoriesasa

compass,Iexploreideasofhome,growth,reﬂectionandconﬂict.Idrawontheinherent

informativequalityofbookstoconveyamessagethroughsubtlenessofcolor,speciﬁcityof

text,diversityofform,andfamiliarityofimagery.Ienjoythethoughtfulnessinvolvedin

designingconceptualobjectsandthefocusonprocessthataccompaniesworkingslowlyand

rhythmicallywithinmanylayers.



MountainTopRemoval:TheTragedyoftheHoller

reﬂectsmyexperiencesgrowingupin

Kentucky,astateburdenedbymountaintopremovalcoalmining.Thisbookreferencesthe

expansivedestructionofthemountainsascoalcompanieslevelmountaintopsandﬁllhollers

(valleysbetweenthemountains)withoverburden.Thispiecerecognizesthelayersofpain

anddeep-rooteddevastationforboththelandandthepeople.Itservesasanelegyforthe

mountains.

JeremyMay

LivesinLondon,England



UitJanSpringersJogensjaren



J.Rinke

2015

Braceletfromreclaimedand

recycled2015printedtext/

book,darkbluepaper,red

paper,lightbluepaper,grey

paperandlightbrownpaper,

laminated123layers

Bracelet:4x4x1in.

Book:91/2x14x4in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Inspiredbytheillustrations.

CharlesMiley

LivesinMaplewood,NewJersey

ShockHeadPeter

,2010

Coverstock,coloredpencil,watercolor,

marker,foundmaterials;unboundpop-up

8x11x7in.

Courtesyoftheartist



IbecameawareofHeinrichHoﬀmann's

"Strewwelpeter"or,"ShockHeadPeter"

whenIsawastagedpresentationwith

theTigerLillies,aLondon-basedcult

bandaround2000inNewYorkCity.Iwas

stunnedbytherawpowerofHoﬀmann's

moralitytalesforchildren.Hoﬀmann

wrotethesecautionarytalesforhisyoung

soninthe1840s.Inresearchingthe

stories,IsawHoﬀmann'sillustrationsand

thesubsequentreinterpretationofhis

storiesbyotherauthors/illustrators.

Therewasevenonebooklampooning

AdolfHitleras"ShockHeadAdolf."



Myapproachtointerpretingthese

macabretaleswastoapproachthemas

freestandingsculptures.Olderchildren

ﬁndthesepop-upsmostlyentertaining

yetforeboding.Itistheadultswhohave

themoredramaticreactions.Theideaof

atoddlerhavinghisthumbscutoﬀbya

tailorinredpantswithscissorsjust

becausehesuckedthemispretty

horrible.Andsoisthefateofthe

gluttonousgirlstungtodeathbythebees

whosehoneyshestoleandhivesshe

dumpedover.Althoughdeeply

disturbing,I'veattemptedtoimbuea

senseofhumorinthecartoon-like

personalitiessofteningthehorroroftheir

situations.Then,thereisPeter.Heisnot

thecuddlychildyouwouldwanttogather

inyourarmsandnuzzle.Youmight

sympathizewithhisconditionbut...heis

alittlescary...and,hestinks.

RichardMinsky

LivesinNewYorkCity



ThePhilosophyofUmbrellas

,2008

Tyvek,originaltypographyusingInDesignwithPalatinoLinotypeandOpenTypeDiscretionary

Ligatures

Editionof100

Courtesyoftheartist



ThispublicationcameaboutwhenIreceivedane-mailfromSusanViguers,directorofthe

MFABookArts/PrintmakingProgramatTheUniversityoftheArtsinPhiladelphia,invitingme

tobeaVonHessVisitingArtistattheBorowskyCenterforPublicationArts.Thepurpose

wouldbetocreateawork,withthemasterprinter,LoriSpencer,onaHeidelbergKORSone-

coloroﬀsetpress.



ItseemedliketheperfectopportunitytomakeaneditioninhonorofJudithHoﬀberg,co-

founderofArtLibrariesSocietyofNorthAmerica(ARLIS/NA)andadvocateofartists’books.

Judithwastheeditorandpublisherof

Umbrella

,whichcelebratedits30thanniversaryin2008

asthemainresourceforinformationaboutcontemporaryartists’books,mailartandFluxus.



Theobviousformforthisworkwouldbeanumbrellawithatext,butwhattext?IaskedJudith

forasuggestionandshesentthisessaybyRobertLouisStevenson(1850-1894).Itwaswritten

whilehewasincollegeandﬁrstpublishedin

TheEdinburghUniversityMagazine

,whichonly

existedforfourmonthlyissues(JanuarythroughApril,1871).Thetextusedforthiseditionis

fromacollectiontitled

Memories&Portraits

[Boston:HerbertB.Turner&Co.,1904].

AmandineNabarra-Piomelli

LivesinIrvine,California

Bernoulli’sEquationforUnsteadyPotentialFlow,

2008

Palmleafstructure;81stripsofphotos,glass/viscoseblendfabric-coveredbox,magneticﬂap

73/4x93in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist



Thissequenceofninecontinuousphotographsisapersonalrepresentationoftheelement

water.Intraditionalphilosophiesitiscommonlyassociatedwiththequalitiesofemotionand

intuition.Itswavypatterncallstomindwavesontheocean’ssurface,describedin

mathematicaltheorybyBernoulli’sequationforunsteadypotentialﬂow.



Mybookvisuallyandtactilelymimicstheactionofabodyinwater.TheBernoulliequationfor

unsteadypotentialﬂow(namedforDanielBernoulli,18th-centuryDutch-Swiss

mathematician)isused,amongotherplaces,inthetheoryofoceansurfacewavesand

acoustics

BonnieO’Connell

LivesinOmaha,Nebraska



Skewered

,2015

Handmadepaper,linenbookcloth,coppertubing,cedar,bambooskewers

14x15x8in.

Courtesyoftheartist

Thesculpturalbookisfromaseriesofvariationsontheraisedcordbinding.Theseexperiments

utilizedmyownhandmadepaper(usuallyofcotton,abaca,andrecycledpaperﬁbers)andthe

conceptofsewingsmallfoldedsectionsonstrungcordsuntilthesewingframewould

accommodatenomore.Thecompleted"bookblocks"werethusabnormallywideanddidnot

operatelikeastandardbook.Afterthecordswerereleasedfromtheframe,thelinkedunitswitha

spinewidthupto12inchesthick,wouldtwist,coil,curveordraperatherthanstayinginablock

form.



Thisversionexploitedthetendencytodrapeandwasboundwithnaturallinenoverboardcovers

andcoppertubingalongthespineedge.Thisallowsthebooktosuspendwhenconnectedto

coppertubesmountedinawoodbase.Atuniformintervals,bambooskewerspassthroughthe

bookblockandextendbeyondthebookcorners.

AdeleOutteridge

LivesinQueensland,Australia

ThinkingofSolII:StuﬀofDreams

,2014

Engravedacrylicsheet,waxedlinenthread

6x15in.(open)

Courtesyoftheartist



TheOxfordDictionarydeﬁnesabookas"acollectionofsheetsofpaperorothersubstance,

blank,writtenorprinted,fastenedtogethersoastoformamaterialwholeprotectedby

covers."Thus,thebookartisthasconsiderablescopeastowhatconstitutesabook.Materials

suchasteabags,oldenvelopes,junkmail,newspaper,metalandacrylicsheetarefoundin

mybooks.



Makingbookswithtransparentmaterialsmeansthatallthepagesarevisibleandthebook

canbereadallatonce,evenwhenitisclosed.Theimageortextappearstobesuspendedin

space.



Abookdividesinformationintosmallsequentialunits,thepages,alsointounitsoftimewhen

thesepagesarereadandturned.Paper,acrylicsheetandthreadsareoneortwo-

dimensionalmediawithlittlevolume.However,byopeningthemout,theycanenclose

relativelylargevolumes.Mostofthesculptureisair.

FrancescaPastine

LivesinSanFrancisco,California



Erosion

,2008

ARTFORUMmagazines

101/2x101/2x5in.

CourtesyofEleanorHarwoodGallery,SanFrancisco,California



Ire-purposeARTFORUMmagazinesinordertoconﬂatelargerglobalnarrativeswithmylived

experience.

Erosion

isfrommyseriestitled

ARTFORUMExcavations

,whereinIviewmy

manipulationofthemagazineasanarchaeologicaldig.



Icreatetopographiesofarttrendsbyintricatelyslicingonepageofthemagazineatatime

withanX-Actoknife.Icuteachpagefreehandandintuitivelytoworkagainsttheprecision

inherentinthemediumofcutpaper.Inthisway,Iexplorepersonalcontradictionsby

attemptingperfectionwhileacceptingthevagariescreatedbythetraceofmyhandcutting.



Iconsidermy

ARTFORUMExcavations

asanunsolicitedcollaborationbetweenthemagazine

andmyself.EnshrinedinPlexiglas,theﬁnishedpiecebecomesaculturalrelicandartobject

ratherthanacommentator.

ToddPattison

LivesinAndover,Massachusetts

AnalogTweeting

,2013

Foundwoodentray,paper,adhesive,nineteenth-centurytextletters/numbers

16x12x2in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Theelectronictransferofinformationallowspeopletorespondwithlightningspeedatthe

clickofabutton.Unfortunately,humanscansometimesregretthingstheysay,orpost,in

haste.



Thispiececombinesamucholderformofcommunication,settingtype,withtweeting.The

470miniatureblankbooksaretitledwithlettersandnumbersthathavebeenrecycledfrom

discardednineteenth-centurytexts.Theusermustpulleachcharactertoformtheir

communicationbeforetakingapictureandsendingtheinformation.Thisforcestheusertobe

morethoughtfulinwhattheysayandpost,andcangivethemtimetoeditorreconsiderwhat

theyaresendingandtheaudiencetowhomtheywishtosendit.

SusanPorteus

LivesinBend,Oregon

Gandhi:APictorialBiography

,2013;

GandhionNon-violence

,2012

PastMasters:Gandhi

,2012;

TheEssentialGandhi

,2012

Lead,KindlyLight:GandhiandtheWaytoPeace,

2012

Alteredbooks,antiquespools,spunpaper

Variousdimensions,largest:101/4x4x4in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Inthelate1920sGandhiproposedtoliberateIndiafromBritishrulethroughspinning.He

believedthatiftheIndianpeoplecouldspintheirowncottontomakeclothinsteadofbuying

itfromtheBritishtheycouldbecomeself-suﬃcient.Althoughbornofthisdesiretoliberatehis

peoplefromforeignrule,forGandhispinningalsobecameaspiritualactivity,atimeto

replenishhissoul.Todaymanyspinnersﬁndtheprocesscontemplativeandcalming,some

evenadmittomeditatingorprayingwhiletheyspin.



Thisseriesofspunpaperbooksattemptstoreferencethishistorybyﬁndingbookswrittenby

oraboutGandhiandsystematicallyspinningeachpagetomakeacontinuouspaperthread,

whichisthenwoundontoanantiquewoodenspooloftheappropriatesize.Throughthis

process,therecordofGandhi’slifebecomes,onceagain,intertwinedwiththeactionof

spinning.Thetitleofeachworkisappropriatedfromthebookusedinitscreation,including,

Gandhi:FighterWithoutaSword

,

TheEssentialGandhi

,and

Lead,KindlyLight

,amongothers.

LauraRussell

LivesinPortland,Oregon

Nocturne

,2003

Tunnelbookwithdetachablecloth-covered,three-panel,wrap-aroundcover;archivaldigital

printingonMohawkSuperﬁnepaper,originalpoem,originalcolorphotographs

Editionof100

81/2x61/4x1in.(closed)

Courtesyoftheartist



Nocturne:aromanticordreamymusicalcompositionthoughtappropriatetonight



Feelthesizzleofelectricity,thesparkleofamillionlights.Neonlightsupourskylinesand

enlivensournights.Thestreetatnightisasymphony,orchestratedbyautomobiles,

pedestrians,sirensandhonkinghorns.Nocturnecapturesthemusicofthenightinatunnel

bookformat,foreverpreservingtheromance,thedreamymelodythatisthecitystreetat

night.Peeringintothetunnel,thevieweristransportedtothestreetastheirmindconjuresup

memoriesandnostalgiaforthesightsandsoundsofbygonedays.Alloriginalcolor

photographswereshotonDenver’sinfamousColfaxAvenue.

CarrieAnnSchumacher

LivesinDownersGrove,Illinois



Emil

and

LaVieEnRose

,2013

Romancenoveldress(frontandback)

65x36x30in.

Courtesyoftheartist



ThedressesIcreatefromthepagesofromancenovelsexaminethedemandsthatfeminine

cultureplacesuponwomenbyutilizingthegarmentasasocialsigniﬁer.Womenoftendeﬁne

themselvesthroughclothing;weuseourappearancetoprojectambitions,attractmatesand

signaloursocialstatus.Fashionmagazinesbecomethebiblesthatguidethecreationofself-

image,andgenerationaftergenerationoffemaleshavebeenprogrammedtobuyintothis

cultureofunrealisticbeauty.



Romancenovelsechothissentiment,astheyrepresentanimpossiblealternatereality,one

whereloveandrelationshipsareall-consumingandeternallypassionate.Realitynever

toucheseitherthefashionorromancerealms,buttheformerisadvertisedasawaytoobtain

thelatter.



Thedressesreﬂectthisastheyareseductivelybeautiful,butduetothematerialfromwhich

theyarecreated,unabletobeworn.Completelywithoutfunction,itrepresentshowuseless

thefemininemythswehavecreatedareinreallife.

ClarissaSligh

LivesinAsheville,NorthCarolina

What'sHappeningwithMomma?

1988

Silkscreenedwithacrylicinkon100%ragCoventryandStonehengepapers;tenpointCentury

Schoolbooktype,handsetandletterpressprinted;accordion-bound,producedatWomen’s

StudioWorkshop,Rosendale,NY.

Editionof150

11x381/4in.

Courtesyoftheartist

Whileworkingonaseriesofalternativephotographicprintscalled"ReframingthePast"

(1982-1995),amemoryofmyyoungersisterbeingborninourtinywhiteframehouse

emerged.Havingwords,butfewphotographs,Ibegantoconstructmyﬁrstartist'sbook,

What'sHappingtoMomma?

Likethehouse,thebookisconstructedwithanexteriorfacade

andaninteriorspacewherethenarrative,inthe"voice"ofachild,is"read"onaccordion

pulloutsteps.

BuzzSpector

LivesinSaintLouis,Missouri



Alter(ed)Ruscha

,2001

Alteredbook

5x16x2in.(open)

CourtesyoftheartistandElizabethLeachGallery,Portland



In2001,TheMuseumofContemporaryPhotography,Chicago,invitedmetoparticipatein

theirannualFinePrintProgram.Mycontributionwas

MyRuscha

,aneditionof10largeformat

(22x26inch),internaldyediﬀusionprint(Polaroid)imagesofalltheartists'booksbyEd

Ruschainmypersonallibrary.IaddedanEdRuschabook,

TheyCalledHerStyrene/Etc.

(London,UK:PhaidonPress,2000),whichIhadhand-alteredbytearingportionsofpagesout

fromthetextblock.Iplacedmyalteredbookonthetopofthestacksothatitswedgeshape

becameavisualpunontheexaggeratedhorizonlineincertainofRuscha'swordpaintingsof

the1960s.

JessicaSpring

LivesinTacoma,Washington



HorsePower

,2009

Modelhorseboundwithaccordionbookprintedonhandmadehorsehairpaper;fauxgrass

base,hand-embroideredtitleblanket

ThoroughbredEdition,one-of-a-kind

20x29x111/2in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist



Sacriﬁcedinthe

RigVeda

,gloriﬁedintheKoran,andcapturedincavepaintings,horseshave

leftanindeliblehoofprintonourcollectiveconsciousness.Despiteourrichhistorytogether,

horseshavebecomeprimarilyasourceofentertainment.Moldedinplastictocollect,bred

andraisedforracingcareers,orrelegatedtopullingcarriagesinthemidstofcitytraﬃc,their

powerwassupplantedbythatoftheengine.

HorsePower

tracesthehistoryofthismajestic

animalthroughdomesticationandpopularcultureandisletterpressprintedwith

photopolymerplates,vintageprintingblocksofhorsesandwoodtype.

KevinSteele

LivesinAtlanta,Georgia

TheDeep

,2012

Circularaccordionpop-upstructure;paper,bookboard,bookcloth,inkjet

Editionof10

67x64x4in.(extended)

Courtesyoftheartist

TheDeep

isatributetomaritimefolkloreandtraditiondevelopedovercenturiesofnautical

exploration.Theocean,whichremainsimmenseandmysteriousinourowntime,wasallthe

moreenchantingandterrifyingtosailorsinanerawhenbeingatseameantaprofound

isolationfromcivilizationinoftunchartedwatersanddangerouspassages.



Thelifeofasailorwasnoteasy,andoftenacareerofnecessity,notchoice.Fear,uncertainty,

andignoranceleftimaginationtomakesenseoftheever-changingconditionsatsea.A

mixtureofreligiouspietyandpagansensibilitieslentsupernaturalexplanationstomany

naturaloccurrences.Anysailorwhoreturnedhomewasaluckysailor,andhencehisadvice

wasindispensableandpassedalongasrulesforthevulnerablenovice.

TheDeep

containsa

representativesampleofthemanynauticaltraditionsthatsailorslookedtoforguidanceand

protectioninadangerousprofession.



Thispop-upbookunfoldstoanover-sizedeight-pointcompassrose.Thecompass,arguably

thesailor’smostvaluableinstrument,notonlyenablesaccuratenavigationbutbringsgood

luck,ensuringsafepassagehomeandprotectingagainstawateryendintheDeep.

MikeStilkey

LivesinLosAngeles,California



FacesInTheCity1&2

,2013

Acrylicondiscardedbooks

171/2x11x6in.and18x101/2x6in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Ihavealwaysbeenattractedtopaintinganddrawingnotonlyonvintagepaper,recordcovers

andbookpages,butonthebooksthemselves.Usingamixofink,coloredpencil,paintand

lacquer,Idepictamelancholicand,attimes,whimsicalcastofcharactersinhabiting

ambiguousspacesandnarrativesoffantasyandfairytales.



Alingeringsenseoflossandlonginghintsatemotionaldepthanddrawstheviewerintotheir

introspectivethrallwithamixtureofcapriciouspoetry,wit,andmystery.Myworkis

reminiscentofWeimar-eraGermanexpressionismandthestylehasbeendescribedbysome

ascapturingfeaturesofartistsrangingfromEdwardGoreytoEgonSchiele.

BarbaraTetenbaum(incollaborationwithJulieChen)

LivesinPortland,Oregon



OdetoaGrandStaircase(forFourHands)

,2001

Doublesidedaccordion;letterpressprintedonStonehengepaperusingacombinationof

linoleumblocks,handsettype,andphotopolymerplates

Editionof100

5¾x7¾x2½in.(closed)

Courtesyoftheartist



Thiselaborateinterplayoftext,imagesandstructurewasathree-yearproject,akindof

dialoguebetweenmyselfandJulieChen.Iﬁrstprintedsomethingoneachpageusing

linoleumblocksinresponsetothetextandleftroomforJulietoaddmoregraphics,which

shecreatedusingphotopolymerplates.



Themaintextinthisbookcomesfromthe"MarchoftheGrandStaircase"composedbyErik

Satiein1914.Itisoneofthethree

Enfantines

thatSatiecomposedtosuitthesizeofachild’s

hand.Thesupplementarytextsarederivedfromthemusicaldirectivesandsilentlibrettos

whichaccompanySatie'sscores.ThankstoAnnaSacramentoforproductionassistanceand

toClaudiaWoberforthetranslation.

ElsiVassdalEllis

LivesinBellingham,Washington



Icarus

,2003

Bookcloth,binder'sboard,CougarOpaquecover,soyprintinginks;hardcasebinding,

accordiontextblock,photopolymer,handsettype,linoleumcuts,sandragraphs

151/2x53/4x3/4in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Thesummerof1999markedtheintroductionofthepoliticalvoiceinmyworkwithabook

addressingtherapeofKosovarwomenduringthe"conﬂict."

Icarus

roselikethePhoenixoutof

theﬂamesofmyhouseﬁrethattookallmyresearch/workinprogressawayforabookIwas

workingonfortheGuildofBookWorkersjuriedmemberexhibitionwiththethemeofﬂight.I

returnedtotheaccumulatedresearchstillavailabletomeandinsixweekscreated

Icarus

,a

treatiseonthegenocidesthatoccurredduringmylifetime.

SusanT.Viguers

LivesinPhiladelphia,Pennsylvania

Theuniversetendstowarddisorder

,2001

Reclaimedwoodshutters,Tyvek,elephanthidepaper;Jacob'sladder

11x61/2x3/4in.(each)

Courtesyoftheartist



Thestructureof

Theuniversetendstowarddisorder

isthatofaJacob’sladder,aVictoriantoy,

thewoodenpiecesofwhich,whenheldupandtipped,seemtotumbleovereachother.In

thisartist’sbook,thatactionreﬁgurestheimagesontheslats.

OnonesideofthisJacob'sladderisscreenprintedthesecondlawofthermodynamicsand

belowthatasequenceofimagesofawineglassfallingandbreaking.Whenactivated,the

backisbroughttothefront,and"Theuniversetendstowarddisorder"



isreplacedbyanother

law'scorollary,"Anymotionispotentiallyreversible,"withitscorrespondingimagesofspilled

wineandbrokenglassreconstitutingthemselves.Onlyonesideoftheladderisreadableata

time;theyaremutuallyexclusive—embodyingtheperceptionofthetensionbetweenthetwo

principles.

Theladderismadeofoldshutterslats,whichhavebeenrepaintedandreconnectedusing

thebuildingmaterialTyvek.Asdiscardedpartsofahousecomebacktolife,thematerials

alludetothefantasticaloptimismof"everymotionispotentiallyreversible."

ThomasWood

LivesinBellingham,Washington

TheBookofSand

,ashortstorybyJorgeLuisBorges,2013

NawakumPress,SantaCruz,CA.IncollaborationwithPeggyGottholdandLawrenceG.Van

VelzerofFoolscapPress

Editionof30

11x13in.

Courtesyoftheartist



Sinceearlycollegedays,JorgeLuisBorgeshasbeenoneofmyfavoriteauthors.SoIwas

thrilledwhenthepublisherDavidPascoeinvitedmetoillustrateBorge’sshortstory,"The

BookofSand."ThestorywassuchthatIwasallowedcompletefreedomtoimproviseasI

wantedonthethemeofinﬁnity.



TheBookofSand

,ﬁrstpublishedinSpanishin1975,wasfromBorges'lastmajorcollectionof

thesamename.Theauthorwasbornin1899andbeganpublishinghispoetryandessaysin

surrealisticliteraryjournalsintheearlytwenties.Helaterwentontomuchcriticalacclaim,

sharingtheﬁrstPrizeInternationalwithSamuelBeckett.Borgeswasnameddirectorofthe

NationalLibraryofArgentina(BibliotecaNational)in1955,andservedfornearlytwentyyears

whilealmostentirelyblind.

SuzeWoolf

LivesinSeattle,Washington



ReadingCedarMesa

,2015

ElephantCanyonformationsandstone,laser-cutmatboard,ﬂuidacrylics,elasticcord

21/2x31/2x41/4in.

Courtesyoftheartist

DuringresidenciesinZionNationalParkandfortheGrandCanyonTrust,Ibecamefascinated

bythetexturesofsandstoneerosion.Inbothpaintingandbookarts,Ihavebeeninspiredby

themany"beehives"(Ialsocallthem"stacksofdinnerplates"):erodedhoodoosinmyriad

warmcolors,geologiclayersandthree-dimensionalformations.Inthesebooks,formand

materials

are

thecontent—noneedforwordswhenthebookitselfrecapitulatesthestory.

Stratigraphyisthenarrative,asimulacrumofpagesfromtheBookofTime.Inthatsense,

thesebooksreadfrombottomtotop,oldesttonewest.

EllenZiegler

LivesinSeattle,Washington



TheBookofKnowledge,Volume2,

2014

Tarpaperpages,hardcover,screw-and-postbinding;plaster,shoepolish,gouache,vermilion

pigment,spraypaint,metallicpen,graphite,silverMylar,solvent,waxedpaper,metallic

pigmentpowder

32x50in.(open)

Courtesyoftheartist



Tarpaperisapeculiar,ordinary,ﬂexible,smellyandevocativemedium.Ittakesallmedia,it’s

durable,andithasitsownintrinsicmetaphors.Tarisaprimevalpetroleumproduct,whichhas

literallycometothesurfacerecentlyinourminds:oilspills,fracking,climatechange.



IgrewupmakingfrequentvisitstotheoozeoftheLaBreaTarPitsinmynativeLosAngeles,

whereanimalremainsarestillexcavated.Forme,thisundergroundsourceoffossils,fueland

prehistoryisanalogoustotheupwellingofimagesfromamysterioussource.

Thispublicationaccompaniesthe

exhibition,

Unhinged:BookArtonthe

CuttingEdge

,organizedbytheWhatcom

MuseumandonviewSeptember27,2015–

January3,2016.Fundingwasprovidedby

theWhatcomMuseumFoundationandthe

CityofBellingham. 

©2015bytheWhatcomMuseum.The

catalogueareretainedbytheartist,his/her

heirs,successors,andassignees.



Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthis

publicationmaybereproducedor

transmittedinanyformorbyanymeans,

electronicormechanical,including

photocopying,recording,orany

informationstorageorretrievalsystem,

withoutpermissioninwritingfromthe

publisher.

PublishedintheUnitedStatesbythe

WhatcomMuseum

121ProspectStreet

Bellingham,WA98225

www.whatcommuseum.org



Frontcover:DougBeube,

BorderCrossing:

IntheWarRoom

,2006,Courtesyofthe

artist



Backcover:BrianDettmer,

CurrentCulture

Medium,2015,

CourtesyofPPOWGallery,

NewYork

Firstpage:HarrietBart,

TheWords

(from

TheAlchemist'sLaboratory

),1994,

Courtesyoftheartist

Endpage:LisaKokin,

Fret,

Courtesyofthe

artistandSeagerGrayGallery,MillValley,

California

Unhinged

BookArtontheCuttingEdge

WhatcomMuseum

Bellingham,Washington

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Unhinged: Book Art on the Cutting Edge PDF Free Download

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