The book is called Shi zhu zhai shu hua pu, ‘Manual of Calligraphy and Painting’ and was first published in 1633 in Nanjing. The book is comprised of eight categories - birds, plums, orchids, bamboos, fruit, stones, ink drawings (round fans) and miscellany - and is illustrated by 50 different artists and calligraphers. It is the earliest known example of multicolor printing in the world: printed by the technique of polychrome xylography known asdouban invented and perfected by Hu Zhengyan 胡正言 (1584-1674). The method involves the use of multiple printing blocks which successively apply different coloured inks to the paper to reproduce...
Bookish gems from the inaugural Seattle Art Fair
The first ever Seattle Art Fair is in the books and by most accounts it's another feather in the cap for the Emerald City. The tech boom with its inherent money showers combined with our proximity to Asia make for an enticing mix and when Paul Allen throws his hat in the ring usually something good happens. I have been saying this for a while now; there are few cities in America as well positioned as Seattle to become one of the leading cities of the 21st century. The show consisted of a healthy mix of local galleries with some of the big boys from...
Books by the Glass
Next time your on the hunt for a cool gift for your bookish loved one or for something to spruce up your reading life perhaps some painted wine glasses by Renée at Kudos Kitchen would do the trick. Painted on demand by Renee the glasses would surely add some color to the festivities. Salute! Harry Potter Mary Poppins Breakfast at Tiffany's inspired by 50 Shades of Gray Book Club Kudos Kitchen by Renée pictured at top: Pride and Prejudice
R.B. Kitaj: First Series – Some Poets
Charles Olson R.B. Kitaj was one of the most significant painters of the post-war period. His collage-like figurative paintings were a major influence on the British Pop Art scene. Lucky for us much of his work also has literary underpinnings. Educated in the U.S. Kitaj spent most of his adult life in London. He returned to the US in 1967 to teach at the University of California Berkeley and then the University of California Los Angeles before returning to London in 1972. It was during his stint on the West Coast that Kitaj undertook, First Series - Some Poets, a series of portraits of mostly West Coast poets completed...
Wood + Paint = Books: The Work of Nathaniel Russell
For his latest show at the Mollusk Surf Shop in San Francisco Nathaniel Russel unveiled some new work that's right up our alley; a series of paintings on wood that resemble books. The show runs through the end of the month and there is a good chance it may sell out. Enjoy! The artist's blog Exhibit page at Mollusk