We are all well aware that the reading of books can open up new worlds but who knew you could fit the entire universe in a set of 12 books.Mishka Henner does just that with Astronomical; twelve hefty volumes representing a scale model of our solar system from the Sun to Pluto with the width of each page representing one million kilometers! The Sun pops up in Volume 1 and Pluto closes out the set on the last page of Volume 12 and there is a plethora of darkness in between and just like that the entire universe is contained between the...
A Wild Edition of "The Wild Swans"
The Wild Swans recounts the story of a princess who sets out to rescue her eleven brothers who have been turned into swans by their wicked stepmother and forced to fly away. The tale was first published in 1838 in the compilation Fairy Tales Told for Children. New Collection by Hans Christian Anderson. An amazing new wordless version of the famous tale is now available. Illustrated by noted toy designer Thomas Aquinas Maguire and published by Simply Read Books. Maguire has transformed the literary tale into a unfolding visual feast. Bound accordion style the book extends to over 60 feet! The...
Composition No.1: The First Book in a Box, Redux
In the 1962 Marc Saporta published Composition No. 1. It was the first published book that came in a box. Of course, there had been books published in slipcases or that were laid in boxes for many years prior to the release of Composition No. 1 but there hadn't been one that consisted of single sheets laid into a box where "each page has a self-contained narrative, leaving it to the reader to decide the order they read the book, and how much or how little of the book they want to read before they begin again."There were no page...
Banksy of the Book Art World
Book art piece found at the National Library of Scotland Is there a Banksy-style book artist roaming the streets of Scotland? Last month, the book art piece above was found at the National Library of Scotland. It was the fourth piece found since March in a book-friendly location in Scotland. All references are devised from the work of Scottish mystery writer Ian Rankin and include a note professing some book love. First it was the Scottish Poetry Library where a 'poetree' was discovered on a bookshelf. The 'poetree,' comprised of intricately cut pages, had a note attached referencing...
Making Books in California: Five Contemporary Presses on View
"During the last 50 years, the conception and production of the book has evolved into an art form that exceeds all former standards for the book as object. Book arts have become a mature medium, and California artists and printers are leaders in the fine arts of the book," - Roberto G. Trujillo, head of Stanford Library's Department of Special Collections.Currently on view at the Cantor Arts Center at Stanford University is the exhibit, The Art of the Book in California: Five Contemporary Presses. Featuring nearly 50 books the exhibit highlights some of the amazing book art and fine press work...