Book Arts and Photography

Books made from one sheet of paper

It is not that important to find a definitive answer to the question “Can you make a book using only one sheet of paper.” For some turning over a sheet of paper or unfolding it, is enough. At the very least, the viewer must pick up a sheet of paper and turn it over or in some way interact with it. Does the simple act of picking up a sheet of a paper make it a book? Maybe, maybe not. But Margaret Mackenzie’s adaptation of a mobius strip surely is an interesting use of form and content. She hand wrote the lyrics to a never ending song. I will add more photos of student examples as soon as I take the photos! Please stop back.

Kathleen O’Connell Speaks to Book Artists

Kathleen O’Connell speaking to the Art 446 Artists’ Book class about her exhibit in the Rockford College Art Gallery, Rockford, Illinois. The show, is titled “Observations from the New World”. Kathleen currently live in Lima Peru. Her exhibition combines the disciplines of printmaking and book arts in her show. The work is inspired by her relocation to Peru. We enjoy having her participate in an informal class critique.

Starting point for a new book.

How does one start working a new book? What sparks the idea? What is the first step for the new project? For book artists’ it most likely is some type of visual element. Maybe an idea for a new structure, new imagery or the possibility for a new collaboration. Regardless of the starting point, something has to come first.
Another question can be posed as a starting point for the fall 2010 Art 446 Artists’ Book class; “Can you make a book from one sheet of paper?” It could be argued that a single sheet of paper, if left unchanged or un folded can’t be called a book. What is the minimum that we have to do to move it closer to becoming a book.
If we rolled the sheet of paper and call it a scroll. Is that the first step to becoming a book? How about folding it into an accordion fold. Does that move it away from only being a flat sheet of paper. Does that make it a book? If we cut sections of the book so that it folds and unfolds into a book like format, does that bring it closer to becoming a book. It will be fun to see how many mutations we can change a single sheet of paper.

Wisconsin Triennial 2010

Saturday was a beautiful sun filed day. When my colleague Gail Simpson called to ask advice on taking a photograph of Vanishing Point, Actual Size Artworks piece in the 2010 Wisconsin Triennial at the Madison Museum of Contemporary Art, I jumped at the change to go outside and stroll along State Street. Vanishing Point stands 20 feet high and is on display inside the corner window area of the museum. Make sure to see the exhibition. More photographs of Vanishing Point can be seen by visiting the Actual Size Artwork photos at my site, or by going to Gail Simpson and Aris Georgiades’s Actual Size Artworks site.

Sarah Noreen Hurtt: Finding Home

Sarah Noreen Hurtt installed her Master of Fine Arts exhibition at the Commonwealth Gallery this May. You can visit a gallery of her work by clicking on the images above. Photographs by Jim Escalante

Julie VonDerVellen: Recollection: Tailored Narratives

The pieces in Julie VonDerVellen’s Master of Fine Arts Exhbition tell stories about specific moments in her life when she can recall exactly what she was wearing. This body of work is a collection of garments that read as reinvented book structures. Each piece tells a significant story and is made entirely from paper. For VonDerVellen, memories evoke garments; garments evoke a memory. Follow this link to see a gallery of Julie Vondervellen’s work.

Kim Cridler’s newest metal sculptural forms

Kim Cridler’s newest work will be exhibited soon. I was able to take photographs of two of her newest pieces. You can see a gallery of Kim Cridler’s newest work at this link.