Mary Bennett. Fodor’s Iran 1979. Altered vintage book, wall hung, linen tape, gesso, thread. 43.5 x 7.5 x 1 inches. 2010. UniquePortland, Oregon's 23 Sandy Gallery is quickly becoming one of the premier book art destinations on the west coast. Their latest show Book Power! is a knockout. It showcases artist books addressing the social, political and environmental issues of our times. Randi Parkhurst. Colony 45. Papers by the artist, linen thread, long stitch over book cloth tapes, acrylic, graphite, watercolor, braided linen pulls. 17 x 17 inches. 2010. UniqueThe exhibition features work by over 40 artists and proves that:an...
Lady Masereel: Marta Chudolinska’s Wordless Novel ‘Back + Forth’
Noted illustrator, wood engraver, printer and book designer George A.Walker encourages his students at the Ontario College of Art & Design to "embrace 19th century linocut printmaking techniques to create extended visual narratives."One of the fruits of his labor is this stunning book by Marta Chudolinska. Chudolinska, who immigrated to Canada from Poland in 1991, cites Frans Masereel, one of the titans of the wordless novel, as her inspiration for the book. "Masereel's style is vivacious, focused more on expression and energy than on completely accurate representation" says Chudolinska. His "characters are still alive on the page a hundred years...
Budget Woes Make Libraries Eat Their Words
A Brief History Of Thyme By Bridget Booher.(All Images Courtesy of Duke University Edible Book Festival.)These are tough times for libraries. Media reports every day tell of city, county, and state governments cutting library budgets in the face of massive revenue shortfalls. But the beginning of the month of April brings the worst news yet. Not just in the US but worldwide, libraries around the globe will literally be slicing up their books to raise money. Those who care about their collections must rally before their rarest delicacies are consumed, and lost forever in the bowels of money hungry citizens....
Altering Louis L’Amour: ‘West of Dodge’ by Nico Vassilakis
Nico Vassilakis has been a cornerstone of the Seattle visual and concrete poetry scene for many years. He is a founding member of the "Subtext Collective" and was co-curator of the recently retired Subtext Reading Series, which for 15 years exposed Seattle to a plethora of new writing from across the country.His latest book, West of Dodge has recently been published by Ireland's Redfoxpress, a press dedicated "to experimental, concrete and visual poetry, or any work combining text and visual arts in the spirit of dada or fluxus." It is the latest work in their series C'est mon dada.The book...
‘Patience’ Unfolding
Book and paper artist Randi Parkhurst looks to the Russian Matryoshka, or nesting doll for inspiration in her recent piece Patience.Patience is comprised of 18 books ranging in size from 7" x 9" to a mini 1/2" x 1/2" and all feature handmade paper by the artist. "Unlike a book with words telling a story, my books tell a story by enticing the viewer to open and explore them. Their rich papers are textured and there are little books nestled inside cubbyholes to pull out and open. My books' 'stories' are about the journey and the surprises along the way."In...