A couple of months ago it was announced that after 200+ years the Encyclopedia Britannica would cease publishing a printed edition. The granddaddy of all encyclopedia's had finally succumbed; becoming the latest casualty of the digital revolution.So what to do with all those sets of bound knowledge that are strewn across the planet?How about turning them into a flotilla of paper boats!In her 2008 installation Paper Boats Australian artist Simryn Gill offered up the 1968 edition of the encyclopedia to the public and invited them to turn its pages into origami boats.In a review of an exhibit of Paper Boats...
Edinburgh’s Phantom Book Artist Takes a Detour
“Remember Edinburgh’s Mystery Sculptor? She has sent me 17 small paintings for my birthday, each one from a Rebus title.” - Author and subject of many of the pieces, Ian Rankin on Twitter.It has been almost a year since a slew of Rankin-themed book art pieces began popping up at various literary destinations around Edinburgh. The story received worldwide attention yet the artist continues to remain a mystery.Now this "Banksy of the Book Art World" takes a slight turn. Instead of a book art piece being left around town the artist changes direction and sends Rankin a birthday present of...
Stories on the Skin
How close is body art to book art? Pretty darn close if you follow the reasoning of Arthur Jaffe. Jaffe, the founder of the seminal Jaffe Center for Book Arts at Florida Atlantic University, "saw tattooed people as walking books, because, after all, what is tattooed skin if not printed narratives, illustrations and designs? They are also telling a story,"Jaffe goes on to remind us that "prior to paper, books were printed on parchment and vellum – the skin of animals – so the book metaphor is not a stretch."So why not study the art of the body? Here lies...
Christophe Gowans: One for The Record Books
The premise for Christophe Gowans' project, The Record Books, is a simple one, "If best-selling albums had been books instead..."Gowans, a graphic designer and art director by trade, transforms well-known albums into imaginary book designs. In many ways contemporary book design, especially cover design, can trace its roots to the graphic design of album covers from the 1960's and 70's, though one might not be propelled to buy an album by its cover as they would a book, the design of an album cover was an essential and integral part of the offering. There are over 100 examples in Gowans' Flickr stream.There...
Campaign Graphics: New book explores the poster in Presidential elections
"Political art is nothing less than an illustration of the skirmishes and stalemates that created and continue to animate the American experiment … Fortunately, the Library of Congress has preserved all of these examples for future generations to see." - Brooke Gladstone from the preface for "Presidential Campaign Posters From the Library of Congress." Images include among others: Andrew Jackson portrayed as a king to invoke voters’ memories of royal rule; Jimmy Carter as a Christ-like savior of his nation; Gerald Ford as "The Fonz" ("Fordsie") keeping his cool against Reagan during the 1976 primaries; and Ronald Reagan as "Rambo" ("Ronbo")...