The Book as Art: Expanding the Limits is the encore edition of the artists’ book exhibition inaugurated by the Decatur Arts Alliance and the Art Institute of Atlanta-‐ Decatur in 2013. The exhibition is juried from entries arriving from all over the world, and includes artists ranging in experience from students to recognized professionals in the medium. The Book as Art is proud to include examples of the finest in the field, from artists in twenty states, Canada, Israel, and Germany. The book as a physical object in an increasingly digital world remains stubbornly analog. Those with narrative content offer the frustrations of sequential visuals – the viewer longs to see more than one segment at a time, but the format allows only a gradual reveal. Sculptural objects interpreting the concept of the book also require more than a glance to draw the viewer into a deeper understanding of what books are and can be. Both narrative and sculptural interpretations are included in this exhibition for your viewing and interpretive pleasure. Jurors Alex Campos, New York, New York Mary Murphy, Atlanta, Georgia Barbara Tetenbaum, Portland, Oregon Organizing Committee Angie Macon, Executive Director, Decatur Arts Alliance Angus Galloway, Gallery Director, The Art Institute of Atlanta-‐Decatur Dot Moye, The Book as Art coordinator Lockey McDonald, Registrar Charlotte Pfieffer, Editor
Islam Aly, Iowa City, IA
Marginalia Plexiglas covers, handmade flax paper, linen thread, laser engraved covers, laser cut sections Edition of 20 The design of Marginalia-1 is inspired from Arabic commentaries that were written in different books. These commentaries have a unique shape and layout. It usually would contrast with the geometrical design of the page. The commentaries played an important role in the transmission and transformation of knowledge. I wanted to show the beauty of their calligraphy on the handmade flax paper. I selected ten different pages for each of the ten sections. I used the laser cutter to cut each section and engrave the front cover. The sections were attached to the Plexiglas covers and sewn together using a two-‐needle Coptic link stitch. Finally I sewed the end bands. Photo credit: Islam Aly
Andi Arnovitz, Jerusalem, Israel
Paradigm Shifts of the 21st Century Offset printing Edition of 500 A paradigm shift is a change from one way of thinking to another—it is a fundamental alteration in an individual's way of looking at or experiencing the world. Today there are massive shifts in morality, standards, values, behaviors, concerns and technologies. These 35 postcards reflect these changes. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Andi Arnovitz and Yehuda Miklaf, Jerusalem, Israel
The History of Sound Watercolor, collage, digital printing Edition of 10 This collaborative piece between artist Andi Arnovitz and bookbinder Yehuda Miklaf is a rich visual journey of how sound travels and what a sound might look like if we could see it. The artwork is translucent and when viewed through a light source there is a building and receding of color. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Jody Arthur, Wailuku, HI
Interstellar Sewing Cards Artist's book Edition of 14 It often starts with something dry and didactic: a reference book, a map, a dictionary, or a safety manual. These everyday tools offer a chance to create something unusual out of something mundane, to use visual and verbal storytelling to take the source in an unexpected direction. With the inspiration in hand, I then concern myself with the concept, which always informs the structure or technique. The structure may or may not take the form of a traditional book. Although I have a particular passion for letterpress, sometimes the best way to realize a piece is with screen printing, collage, or even laser printers. I prefer to produce multiples, rather than one-‐of-‐a-‐kinds. The text is often my own writing, although I enjoy collaborating with other voices. My reinterpretations can take the form of maps made of crumpled paper, birding guides depicting fantastical creatures, or even etiquette manuals that dole out dating advice to astronauts. Photo credit: Jody Arthur
Alicia Bailey, Aurora, CO
Extinct Extant Mixed media limited edition book work Edition of 18 Extinct Extant features seven extinct bird species: Bachman’s Warbler, Carolina Parakeet, Dusky Seaside Sparrow, Eskimo Curlew, Heath Hen, Ivory Billed Woodpecker and the Passenger Pigeon. Provided for each species are a photograph of skins held in the collection of the DMNS Zoology Department, a brief synopsis of their existence, attributes and habits, a map of their geographical range, a reproduction of a painting of the species by either Audubon or Cates by their scientific classification, binomial name, conservation status, the etymology of the bird’s common name and a listing of the species’ collective nouns. Based on an enhanced accordion binding structure designed by Hedi Kyle. Housed in a single tray drop-‐spine box with translucent covers. Photo credit: Alicia Bailey
Karen Carcia, Iowa City, IA
52 Hertz Letterpress printed gatefold artist book with enclosure Edition of 15 (Due to the nature of the techniques used, this is a variable edition.) 52 Hertz explores ideas about silence via the true story of a whale traveling alone. Calling out at a frequency much higher than other whales', his calls go unheard, unanswered. The book makes use of sumi-‐nagshi; watercolor; waxed paper; letterpress printed woodcuts, linoleum cuts, photopolymer plates, and hand-‐set metal type to create the vast space of the ocean where a single whale’s call rolls out for thousands of miles, but is returned only with silence. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
James Cates, Atlanta, GA
Everyman's Journey Handmade paper, bookcloth, Giclée prints, and thread, bound using the Japanese stab method Edition of 3 This book contains a secular tale about a young boy who travels from his home incidentally in search of something more. His travels take him to a place where it becomes hard to distinguish friend from foe, and leads the boy on an adventure that ultimately makes him appreciate the place he came from. The story has a children’s book quality to it, but the language and overlying themes speak to every audience. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Ania Gilmore, Lexington, MA
Mortal Hand Accordion book: line etching, Chine-‐colle, Braille, ink, copper plate, metal pen nibs, waxed linen, Arches paper Edition of 3 Eight-‐page accordion book inspired by Wislawa Szymborska poem “The Joy of Writing.” Each page contains a panel of etching and cut paper with an original plate on the last panel. Signed and numbered by the artist. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Mari Eckstein Gower, Redmond, WA
Soldier's Heart Accordion fold book Edition of 40 Soldier's Heart deals with the ways our culture has historically dealt with soldiers suffering from PTSD. The book is a long accordion fold narrative inspired by the Bayeux Tapestry. Photo credit: Mari Eckstein Gower
Karen Hardy, San Antonio, TX
Incubate Abaca handmade paper, sand, and thread with letterpress printing For Incubate I focused on the expressive qualities of handmade paper, using paper pulp not merely as a substrate, but as a sculptural material with intriguing qualities in itself. The imagery in the book was created with pulp or by embedding materials in the pulp as the paper was formed. I used the translucent, membrane-‐like quality of the paper to evoke a condition of containment, concealment, or protection that is hinted at and possibly breached. Photo credit: Karen Hardy
Candace Hicks, Nacogdoches, TX
String Theory Embroidery on canvas I’ve collected coincidences for ten years. It started when I read two books in a row that both included the phrase “antique dental instrument.” While that was not the first coincidence I ever noticed in my reading, that singular instance convinced me to keep a record. I began to consider that the phrase might have been the profound masquerading as the mundane. Or not. But I wanted to collect the data. I cataloged my coincidences in composition books that filled rapidly. As it turned out, “antique dental instrument” has not held any special meaning in my life or my art. Neither have any of the coincidental phrases that followed, such as “stuffed mountain lion” or “black currant lozenge,” but the act of noticing them became the lens through which I filter the world and my experiences. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Diane Jacobs, Portland, OR
Nourish, All Our Relations Letterpress printed reduction linoleum and wood blocks, pressure printing, polymer plates, handset title page and colophon, bamboo box, gampi paper, wool felt, cast paper pulp, porcelain Edition of 21 Nourish comes from gratitude and a desire to celebrate the wonders of our natural and created world. It also acknowledges that beneath this beauty looms environmental catastrophe: dying bee colonies, lack of safe drinking water, increasing oceanic garbage, loss of habitat for species whose diversity is dwindling, and our changing climate to name a few. Time is ticking, we must find our way through the labyrinth, unlock the doors of perception, and embody the notion “to be with higher self.” We can become the spider that protects and weaves creative solutions. Photo credit: Bill Bachhuber
Diane Jacobs, Portland, OR
Hair Talk, Volume II Letterpress linoleum color field and handset question, pencil unique answers, human hair binding, mulberry paper, cave paper covers Sixty-‐two unique answers to four hair questions are individually sewn into the book. The twine binding is made from human hair and inspired by Roberta Lavadours' beautiful twine binding books. Photo credit: Bill Bachhuber
Sun Young Kang, Bryn Mawr, PA
Memories Unfolded Hand cut and transfer print on paper I have created this shadow book with paper-‐cut-‐out images of Korean traditional doors. The process of cutting the pattern of the doors to create shadows recalls my memories of my grandmother in her old house. When I was inside, I could see the shadow of Grandmother cast on the paper doors from outside. Grandmother’s presence as a shadow on the door has remained a strong image in my mind. Unlike many other doors, the traditional rice paper door does not totally block the inside and out from each other. It only creates the concept of this side and the other while simultaneously connecting them to each other. When this accordion book is unfolded, the pages are shaped as closed, connecting the memories of my grandmother, who is now in the other side, with myself in this world. Photo credit: Sun Young Kang
Ellen Knudson, Gainesville, FL
American Breeding Standards Letterpress printed handmade book Edition of 60 American Breeding Standards explores the systematized rules about what comprises a good or bad horse, a good or bad woman — and the steps one might take to achieve the breed standard. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Lee Krist, Portland, OR
How to Transition on Sixty-Three Cents a Day Letterpress artist book Edition of 163 How to Transition On Sixty-Three Cents a Day is a limited edition artist book of 163 copies that was printed using hand-‐set type and a letterpress platen press. This alternative format book is made up of thirty-‐one unbound postcards and seven pieces of ephemera housed in a metal film can. It is a memoir with a non-‐linear narrative that unfolds through un-‐mailed postcards from the author to his Italian immigrant mother. This epistolary is a beautifully concise narrative that is both touching and humorous. The book tells the tale of the author moving from New York City to Portland, Oregon, and physically transitioning from female to male. Instead of hanging the work on the wall or under a glass box, the book is displayed on a table for the viewer to touch and sift through the postcards. This manner of exhibition will allow the audience to hold and read the book in the palm of their hands. Since the book is unbound, each viewer will have a different non-‐linear reading experience. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Lucas Kunz, Kleines Wiesental, Germany
Rheingold / Raubgold / Zahngold Artist's book: paper, gold leaf Edition of 5 During a visit of an antiquarian bookshop I blindly reached for any book and grabbed Richard Wagner‘s libretto of The Rheingold. It was a small booklet of 1913, written by the composer himself. Whilst reading it, I thought that one can only gold plate such kitsch, as this was unsurpassed. The Rheingold is a mythological narrative, but which turned into a sad (German) history. At the end of the book I restored its mythology. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Lucas Kunz, Kleines Wiesental Germany
Radiograms Artist's book: paper, wooden box, diverse parts WikiLeaks published 2010 “Collateral Murder.” The complete transliterated radiogram–dialog was printed on Japanese paper. The paper was then made into “Funkdraht–Doha“ and “Funkdraht–Syad“ (field–telephone–wire) respectively, referring to the two children who survived, badly injured, the murder. Additionally, the booklet contains video–stills from the onboard camera of one of the helicopters involved. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Jenn Law, Toronto, Canada
Artifact 3-‐D printed book Edition of 2 In the face of contemporary debates surrounding the purported crisis in print culture, Law contemplates the future of the book, our fetishization and attachment to its physical object-‐form, and our desire to collect and possess the knowledge contained therein. Artifact is a 3-‐D printed “replica” of a book by Edmund C. Berkeley, an American computer scientist who wrote one of the earliest popular volumes on computers in 1949, Giant Brains or Machines That Think. The 3-‐D book is open to Chapter 11, in which Berkeley images the potential social impact and benefits of computers (giant or mechanical brains) on mankind. The book, though fabricated using the most advanced printing technology, is in fact unreadable – it exists solely as an art object, an artifact of sorts. As a book, it is redundant. Photo credit: Thomas Blanchard
Cynthia Lollis and Daniella Deeg, Decatur, GA
Luftperspektive / Aerial View Double-‐sided accordion: archival pigment print on Yatsuo Moriki, flexible 3D plastic covers, gray board box Edition of 6 Luftperspektive/Aerial View is a collaborative book made by two women: a German and an American. Photographs in this double-‐sided accordion book afford 360º panoramic views of the two artists’ cities: Stuttgart from the Television Tower (Fernsehturm Stuttgart) on one side, and Atlanta from the Westin Peachtree Plaza Hotel on the other. A poem by Rainer Maria Rilke is handwritten into the silhouettes of native birds circling above the landscape. This artists’ book about varying and shifting perspectives is as light as air in one’s hands. Photo credit: Cynthia Lollis and Daniella Deeg
Cynthia Lollis and Daniella Deeg, Decatur, GA
Ein Würfelwurf kann den Zufall nicht abschaffen / A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance Screenprinted post and screw binding. Cristalla transparent paper from Römertum Feinpapiere, gray-‐board box Printed at the Frans Masereel Centrum, Belgium Edition of 18 Ein Würfelwurf kann den Zufall nicht abschaffen / A Throw of the Dice Will Never Abolish Chance is a screenprinted artists’ book by Deeg and Lollis that began with a word list they started in 2001. For this book the list was revisited, and each artist contributed new words to it offering a new perspective. The photographs were taken by the artists while working together over ten years. The artists quote in their book the 1897 poem by Stéphane Mallarmé, “Un Coup de Dés Jamais N'Abolira Le Hasard” as reinterpreted by the Belgian artist Marcel Broodthaers in 1969. Photo credit: Walker Montgomery
Susan Lowdermilk, Eugene, OR
XO On What Might Have Been Our Anniversary Accordion with separate covers: back layer of accordion woodcut on paper. second layer of accordion ink jet printed text on organdy fabric Edition of 15 I am interested in posing open-‐ended questions pertaining to life’s joys and challenges that happen by choice or by chance. I depict familiar forms in my work as a printmaker and book artist with the aim to visually address these themes. Objects useful or ephemeral, man-‐made or natural, personal or sentimental, fragmented or whole serve as memory triggers and place holders, contextually infused with memory and meaning. The stuff that punctuates our lives reflects our individual stories. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Danielle McCoy, Atlanta, GA
Distance From Home Serigraphy Edition of 3 This artist book conveys a small part of my experience with figuring out that I have OCD while in university. Through letters and correspondence of various kinds, the book chronicles me trying to come to terms with the disorder, while at the same time trying to communicate it to my family members who do not necessarily believe in the notion of “disorders.” Photo credit: Lamon Bethel
Sarah McDermott, Arlington, VA
Channel and Flow Artist's book bound in a modified long-‐stitch format, letterpress printed and screenprinted with hand-‐made paper covers Edition of 50 Channel and Flow documents an attempt to follow a stream on its path through a dense suburban neighborhood. It uses the structure of the book's page turns and foldouts to represent how the stream has been contained and fragmented by the built environment. Photo credit: Sarah McDermott
Shervone Neckles-Ortiz, Rego Park, NY
Operation Urgent Fury Lithography on Giclée printed canvas Edition of 2 My work addresses issues of memory, loss, social class and labor-‐questioning roles, identity and the social positioning of black individuals. Operation Urgent Fury is an ongoing series that investigates the 1983 American invasion on Grenada. As part of my research I have gathered images from the United States Department of Defense and photographed sites in Grenada where the American troops raided and established control. Operation Urgent Fury Artist Book Scroll is a digitally collaged panoramic view of the soccer field in Grenville, Grenada, one of the many drop zones for the troops. To recapture the invasion, I developed a series of photolithography plates of the American troops parachuting, landing, and marching into the town. The lithography plates of the soldiers are collaged and printed in black, over the color panoramic background giving the sense that this is a fading memory of an event which left a lasting impression. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Nicole Pietrantoni, Walla Walla, WA
Precipitous Inkjet on Awagami Inbe Thick, handbound into 5 accordion books that expand to create a life-‐sized installation Edition of 3 Employing both traditional and digital forms of printmaking, Nicole Pietrantoni’s artwork explores the complex relationship between human beings and nature. With a specific interest in printmaking’s historic relationship to representation, her works draw attention to our active role in constructing and idealizing landscape. Referencing 19th-‐century panoramas as well as the Romantic painting tradition, this body of work nods to a particularly fraught period in our relationship to nature. Similarly, today’s rapidly changing landscape demands an examination of the tension between the enjoyment of beautiful, idealized landscapes and an awareness of their ecological complexity. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Robin Price and Daniel Kelm, Middletown, CT
Love in the Time of War Letterpress and mixed media artist's book Variable edition of 70 Price’s interpretation of a 25-‐poem sequence by Yusef Komunyakaa, which was sparked by the U.S. invasion of Iraq. Vulnerability enclosed within metal armor. Thirty-‐eight hand-‐dyed silk pages with colored paper shapes embedded within foredge-‐folded sheets; silver ink with Adobe Jenson type; aluminum covers photochemically etched with a camouflage fabric pattern; modified paper-‐case binding co-‐designed and produced by Daniel Kelm. Photo credit: Robin Price
Meda Rives and Veda Rives, Virden, IL
BookEnviron Niche: Artists' Books as Shelter, Escape, Epiphany; Shaping Our Space, Our Thoughts, and Our Aspirations Artists’ book installation: handmade paper, threads, branches A BookEnviron is an artist’s book that by concept and scale creates an immersion experience for the viewer who enters and explores the space shaped by the pages. This book one of a series of collaborative installations of viewer interactive environments calling attention to the need in our daily lives for a place of quiet reflection, a place that inspires, a space that causes us to pause—if only momentarily, for an experience of uplifting renewal. As though released from their bindings, the pages shape the space of the gallery enveloping the viewer. Niche may be installed so as to welcome the viewer into its embrace or it may be situated to provide an oasis, a space set apart from the rest of the gallery. The visual language is inspired by forms and rhythms of nature and is free of specific verbal language, cultural and religious references. The sequence of the imagery encourages viewers along actual journeys and suggests mental and spiritual journeys. Photo credit: Meda and Veda Rives
Leslie Ross-Robertson, Janet Kupchick, Jennifer Graves, and Jamie Russom, Los Angeles, CA
From There to Here Letterpress handmade flagbook From There to Here is a collaboration between four artists whose talents and lives intersect at Otis College of Art and Design. The flag book structure presented the prefect form to incorporate four journeys to the college in both a literal storytelling manner as well as a larger historical perspective that brought the collaborators together. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Jaime Shafer, Arlington, VA
Mix and Match Families Inkjet printed on Epson smooth ultra fine art paper Edition of 25 In the USA, family is flexible and fluid, constantly changing as our society grows and develops an understanding for the people who live here. This fluidity is essential and what I wished to explore. Mix and Match Families is an artist’s book that addresses these ideas. The imagery for the book began while I photographed families and individuals in Washington, D.C. I removed the original background from the images and placed them on solid colored backgrounds. The solid colored backgrounds indicate the original family unit in the artists’ book. The book is designed so that the viewer can flip through the pages altering the family (much like a children’s flip book) to include same sex families, heterosexual families, and interracial families. Photo credit: Denny Henry
Lynn Skordal, Mercer Island, WA
Open Water Vintage navigational chart book in accopress binder, Bienfang translucent marker paper, inkjet images, spray paint Open Water is a one-‐of-‐a-‐kind altered book. The original book is a vintage navigation chart book for the Kanawha River of West Virginia, published by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in April 1949. Images are cut and paste collage (inkjet on paper). The text of the book, printed on translucent paper, is a poem written by the artist. ("In the beginning was the blue dream of an impossible sea....") Photo credit: Lynn Skordal
Sarah Smith, Lebanon, NH
Minutes: Dance Steps for the Beleaguered Letterpress Edition of 36 Minutes: Dance Steps for the Beleaguered depicts life in a meeting. Inspiration for the book came from co-‐workers, co-‐commuters, family and other co-‐captives. The text was heavily influenced by How to Know Fresh-Water Algae by G.W. Prescott, The Biggle Farm Library, The Shepherd’s Manual by Henry Stewart, The Journal of Musculoskeletal Pain, the on-‐line journal Applied Animal Behavior Science and many other insightful texts. This is a letterpress printed accordion book made during a residency at Asheville Bookworks in the summer of 2012. Photo credit: Ron DiRito
Sue Sommers, Pinedale, WY
Encyclopedia Rebound: A Post-Virtual Mass of Random Information Cut up, shuffled and rebound encyclopedias 20 unique volumes Encyclopedia Rebound is a series of altered books made from volumes of Encyclopedia Americana (1960), cut down, shuffled and re-‐bound hardcase. Ongoing until set is repurposed. Analog version of the web search experience. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Darian Stahl and Devan Stahl, Edmonton, Canada
The Importance of Dualism Photo intaglio and encaustics Edition of 3 This artwork involves a collaborative process with my sister, Devan Stahl, who is a bioethicist and has multiple sclerosis. Our work speaks to living with chronic illness and focuses on merging the internal thoughts of a diagnosis with everyday lived experiences. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Todd Thyberg, Minneapolis, MN
American Manifesto Letterpress Open edition, unsigned and unnumbered, approx. 600 available Nearly 250 years later, author and artist Todd Thyberg offers his tribute to Thomas Paine’s history-‐altering pamphlet Common Sense by publishing a new, original book titled American Manifesto. Written, illustrated and published by Thyberg on a vintage Heidelberg letterpress, the book was made possible through a 2013 Artist Initiative grant awarded by the Minnesota State Arts Board. In this complex and fast-‐moving world, American Manifesto offers readers a refreshing chance to unplug and contemplate the state of the nation just as our countrymen did in 1776. Honoring Paine’s revolutionary pamphlet, Thyberg set out to inspire informed dialogue and critical thinking with an approachable, frank look at broad-‐ranging issues the United States faces today: "My hope is for American Manifesto to spark conversations and common sense around challenges we face as fellow Americans. It’s a coffee table book aimed at inspiring change." Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Sally Tosti, Brooklyn, NY
New Orleans Revisited Double-‐sided accordion artist book with twenty-‐three original photographs Edition of 4 Sally Tosti is an Associate Professor at Keystone College, La Plume, PA. Her books have been shown at Codex, Tell Me How You REALLY Feel, The [Un]Framed Photograph, and Fun and Games…and Such at the Center for Book Arts in New York City. For ten years, Sally has been traveling throughout the United States with assorted camera equipment and a laptop. These books and many more are the result of her journeys. Her travels continue. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Shift-lab: Katie Baldwin, Sarah Bryant, Denise Bookwalter, Macy Chadwick, and Tricia Treacy, Sugar Mountain, NC
>Shift Letterpress, silkscreen, etching Edition of 20 Using their own interpretation of shift, each artist of the collective Shift-‐lab (Katie Baldwin, Sarah Bryant, Denise Bookwalter, Macy Chadwick, and Tricia Treacy) created a book of identical dimensions to reflect a shift in perspective or point of view. A limited edition of twenty books are housed together in a handmade box. This project was exhibited at the San Francisco Center for the Book during spring of 2014. Printmaking processes used to make the books included etching, letterpress, relief, and silkscreen. Photo credit: Paola Hurtado
Melissa Wagner-Lawler, Milwaukee, WI
A Weak Sense of Direction Monotype, relief, letterpress on Mulberry; bound using pamphlet stitch to gray Rives BFK cover Edition of 5 A Weak Sense of Direction is an abstract exploration of the journey of traveling by bicycle. There exist several similarities in riding a bike and experiencing art in a book format. While both can be experienced in a distinctly linear manner, one can also backtrack, slow pace, skim (speed up), follow pathways or make their own. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist
Melissa Wagner-Lawler, Milwaukee, WI
Everything You Hear Letterpress on Rives BFK, drumleaf binding Edition of 25 In Everything You Hear, each page features a snippet of quick communication. Some of the language is overly flowery and poetic, other bits are somewhat offensive. The quick and abrupt change of the text replicates how quickly we can go from one extreme to the next through our reading consumption on the internet. Photo credit: courtesy of the artist