#book object

Marie Louise Kold (48 today) is a Swedish artist who mainly works with metals - copper, brass and bronze. She works in several different categories, including portraits, public  decorative works, jewelry, and ‘book objects’

#ArtsyFriday

In light that this week brought both International Book Day (Thursday April 23) and National Library Week, our selected artists' book may appear a little unorthodox. Re-imagining a 'chained book', A book by Scott Sikenofka is unreadable. The book object consists of a copy of the King James Bible chained shut with a heavy duty combination lock on the front cover. The only identifiable feature is the artist's last name scrawled on the front cover in gold. Our library copy was exhibited in 'Artwoods and bookworks' at the Los Angeles Institute of Contemporary Art in 1978. Without a colophon or artist statement, the simple title A book was supplied by Judith Hoffberg (librarian, archivist, and editor of Umbrella, a newsletter on artists' books, mail art, and Fluxus) in a letter from 1990; Hoffberg who co-curated the 1978 exhibition. I always find book objects fascinating, but considering this piece in a time when we find ourselves away from the stacks and attempt to make connections without opening the pages of a book, this artists' book resonates. --Laura 

#ArtsyFartsyFriday

Some books take your breath away. The City Within by Natalie Draz, a moveable artists’ book, is one of those books. Created by Draz during an artist’s book residency at the Women’s Studio Workshop in 2016, this kinetic piece is housed in a simple wooden box; what first appears as an irregularly shaped booklet expands into a freestanding rib-cage structure juxtaposing letterpress and intaglio prints, a book object meant to be interacted with. As an artist hailing from Canada, Draz’s city is based on elements of downtown Montreal but for each new reader, an imaginary city forms. This video shows the artist interacting with one of the edition of 60:  

https://vimeo.com/172906878

Cities and maps are common inspirations in Natalie Draz’s work, as she “illustrates and papercuts cities that exist between reality and her own perspectives”. (Artists’ website)

--Laura  

n.t. (un-ward, we roam alone), 2023

positive and negative space

these books are of particular interest due to their use of negative space as a visual element. how can i incorporate the cutting away of material, to further develop an image. what connotations does this present?