It’s Fine Press Friday!
A sphinx speaks, a gorgon sees, and a siren sings when pulled from a polka dot purse in Stephanie Copoulos-Selle’s 2008 book, Bad Girls. The three small accordions that make up the body of the book were printed at Citron Press in Waukesha, Wisconsin, by Copoulos-Selle; the images printed with photopolymer plates. The type is Hellenic and Scotch. The box design – pink polka dots, hearts, and cursive – was screen printed. Hahnemuhle Ingres, Stonehenge, and Rives papers were used. Bad Girls was printed in a limited edition of 53 copies, signed by Copoulos-Selle.
“Don’t hate me because I’m attractive,” the Siren implores, “and have a haunting, beautiful voice.” Just as the flirty handbag opens up to the serious pillars of a temple, the three short texts dance between the playful and the deadly serious. The Sphinx explains that it’s her work to “ask a question and eat the man for a wrong answer.” But really, she has ambitions – hoping for a promotion to indoor work in the throne room. The Gorgon laments: “Every day was a bad hair day.” But confesses those “nasty men” had it coming when she turned them to stone for staring.
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--Amanda, Special Collections Graduate Intern
