Artists' Books

Sharing Shows 4: “THE BOOK AS ART: WONDERS”

July 21, 2019 By Debra Disman

I am excited and honored to be included in a number of current and upcoming shows across the US, and will be sharing about them in blog form, as well as in the EVENTS section of my website, as a way of further describing and chronicling my practice, honoring colleagues, and sharing gratitude for these opportunities and the people, organizations and institutions that make them happen. Shout out to Elon Schoenholz, Photographer extraordinaire who took the photographs below of “The Fall“, which will be shown in:

The Book as Art v. 7.0: Wonders
Presented by the Decatur Arts Alliance
Decatur, Georgia

August 9–September 27, 2019

The Decatur Arts Alliance (DAA) presents the seventh edition of the juried exhibition of artists’ books, The Book as Art, August 9–September 27, 2019. This edition will be installed once again at the Decatur Branch of the DeKalb County Public Library. The show’s dates encompass the AJC-Decatur Book Festival, which takes place each Labor Day weekend throughout the City of Decatur. The DAA will sponsor a festive opening on Friday, August 23, 2019.

“A book begins as a small mass of material, formed and pressed into life by ideas, words, and machines. A concept becomes thought, becomes word, becomes book, becomes sculpture. From the tactile complexity of handmade paper, to the alteration of existing volumes, to a variety of other materials and concepts, these objects, in an increasingly digital world, stubbornly survive. The objects in this exhibition will interpret the concept of the book and invite the viewer to look beyond the printed page to where word has become form.”

The Book as Art v. 7.0: Wonders’ location at the Decatur Branch of the DeKalb County Public Library is just off the Decatur Square, ideally accessible to the more than 85,000 attendees at the Festival as well as to visitors throughout the run of the show.

The Jurors:

Denise Bookwalter works in a range of print media including traditional and digital processes, artist’s books, installations and dimensional prints. Her artist’s books utilize old and new print technologies to create collaborative works. Her work has been exhibited and collected in a variety of venues across the country and abroad. She received her BA from Northwestern University and her MFA from Indiana University in Printmaking. Bookwalter currently lives in Tallahassee, Florida with her husband and twin girls. She is an Associate Professor of Art at Florida State University where she teaches printmaking and is Area Head of the Printmaking Department. She is the director and founder of Florida State University’s artists’ book press, Small Craft Advisory Press.

Mari Eckstein Gower is an artist and writer with a studio practice in Redmond, Washington, where she currently focuses on creating one of a kind and editioned artist books. She grew up in Southern California and studied art and humanities at Scripps College and Claremont Graduate University. Later she continued her studies of printmaking techniques at ateliers in Montreal and then writing with Al Young, Bruce Coville, Jane Yolen, and Ursula K. Leguin. Gower’s artist books are included in collections across the United States and Canada. Her work has been exhibited in gallery and museum shows in the United States and Europe.

Andrew Huot is a book artist and bookbinder in Atlanta, Georgia. He operates Big River Bindery, a studio for bookmaking and letterpress printing, book repair, and design. He has a Masters in Book Arts from the University of the Arts, teaches bookbinding and preservation for the University of Illinois, and workshops in his bindery and across the country. He exhibits his work widely and it is held in more than 50 university library collections. His artwork takes his everyday life and uses the patterns, lines, and shapes to create work that is playful and strikes a familiar cord with viewers.

The Book as Art v. 7.0: Wonders’ location at the Decatur Branch of the DeKalb County Public Library is just off the Decatur Square, ideally accessible to the more than 85,000 attendees at the Festival as well as to visitors throughout the run of the show.

“The Fall“, 2019
7″ x 24.5″ x 10.5″
Book board, hemp cord, mulberry paper, paperboard, canvas

The Book As Art…The Book Is Art.

Hanging in Hawthorne

July 13, 2019 By Debra Disman

I was honored to conduct a bookmaking program for children and families at the
Hawthorne Library

We made flag books.
Numerous families joined us, and a grand time was had by all…

What will this maker say, with their work, letters, design?

Mothers, grandmothers, friends, and daughters.

Lovely lady line-up!

Sons and Brothers

Families and friends worked together.

Proud maker.

Mother and Daughter.

The devotion and commitment of these families of makers, in their family, friendships and making was just stunning.

Sharing Shows 3: “BRAND 47”

July 4, 2019 By Debra Disman

I am excited and honored to be included in a number of current and upcoming shows across the US, and will be sharing about them in blog form, as well as in the EVENTS section of my website, as a way of further describing and chronicling my practice, honoring colleagues, and sharing gratitude for these opportunities and the people, organizations and institutions that make them happen. Shout out to Bernard Wolf, Photographer extraordinaire who took the last two photographs below of “Burning Bush“,

which will be shown in:

The 47th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper

Exhibition: September 7th – October 25th
Brand Library & Art Center
1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201

Brand Library & Art Center announces its 47th Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper.

This year Alma Ruiz, an independent curator, Senior Fellow at Sotheby’s Institute of Art/Claremont Graduate University and a member of the Advisory Committee for the Cisneros Fontanals Art Foundation in Miami as our juror.

Ruiz brings a wealth of experience to Brand 47 as a former senior curator at the Museum of Contemporary Art, Los Angeles who has also curated internationally in Mexico, Argentina, Israel and Guatemala. Ruiz has acted as a juror for numerous exhibitions and biennials in the United States and Latin America and is the author of numerous essays and articles. Alma Ruiz reviewed more than 1000 submissions, of which 93 were selected for the exhibition.

Brand 47 is organized by the Associates of Brand Library & Art Center, an all-volunteer 501(c)3 non-profit that raises funds to support the extensive free and public events offered at Brand, including exhibits in the gallery, classical and popular music performances, film screenings, and dance performances. This year marks the 50th Anniversary of the Associates, a milestone which will be celebrated throughout 2019. Entry fees and sales from Brand 47 and every Annual Works on Paper Exhibition are utilized by the Associates to continue the important cultural programming that Brand Library & Art Center brings to the community.

“Burning Bush”, Interior/Open

“Burning Bush”, Exterior/Open

I am thrilled and humbled to be participating in this Brand (new for 2019) show and continuing tradition at this venerable institution of Southern California.

Sharing Shows 2: “ALL STITCHED UP”

June 29, 2019 By Debra Disman

All Stitched Up
An international juried book arts exhibition
September 3rd – December 11th, 2019
Collins Memorial Library University of Puget Sound, Tacoma, WA

Prairie, (Front Cover, Outside) 2018, 10.25″ x 45″ x 15.25″, bookboard, jute cord, watercolor paper, tissue paper

Prairie, (inside) 2018, 10.25″ x 45″ x 15.25″, bookboard, jute cord, watercolor paper, tissue paper

Prairie, (Outside) 2018, 10.25″ x 45″ x 15.25″, bookboard, jute cord, watercolor paper, tissue paper

“To stitch is to join together, to mend, or fasten as with stitches – to sew. To stitch is to bring together fabric, paper, wounds of the body, or cultural divides. Stitching can be an act of healing, hope, practicality, creativity, and revolution. All Stitched Up recognizes and celebrates the work of book artists’ where stitching has become an integral part of the visual design. Curators Catherine Alice Michaelis, Jane A. Carlin, and Diana Weymar will jury the show and a print catalogue will be created.

We are particularly (but not solely) interested in works that showcase collaboration and focus on building a sense of shared community. That may include collaboration between two or more artists, two or more communities, or crowd-sourced projects. Sewing that joins people and ideas link us to historical social and political sewing circles from the abolitionist movement of the 1800s, to the corporate resistant DIY movement kindled by the Riots Grrrls in the 1990s, to the knitting collectives of today that focus on the anti-war, pro-science, and pro-choice movements. In addition, you may draw inspiration from the embroidered books of the Victorian period, the rise of needlecrafts during the Arts & Crafts period, and family traditions of sewing by machine or hand stitching.” —All Stitched Up

Schedule:

September 3rd – show opens
September 14th – opening celebration
December 11th – show closes

Curators

Catherine Alice Michaelis is an artist, writer, publisher, curator, teacher, and most recently – videopoet and animator. As proprietor of May Day Press, she is best known for her artist’s books that incorporate letterpress and pressure printing techniques. In 1998, Catherine began to feature sewing in her print work in relation to family, intimate secrets, and emotional healing. She collaborates often, with both artists and writers, and her 1999 collaborative project, Stack the Deck: 22 Artists Mark the Cards for Women’s Health & Healing, is frequently on show somewhere. Her artist’s books have been featured in solo and group exhibitions throughout the U.S. and are collected in over 80 institutions. Catherine was profiled in the ‘Nature’ episode of Craft in America on PBS in 2017. She lives near Olympia, Washington.

Jane A. Carlin is currently the Library Director at the Collins Memorial Library at the University of Puget Sound. Prior to joining Puget Sound, Jane was the Director of the Design, Architecture, Art and Planning Library at the University of Cincinnati and has also held positions at Oxford Brooks University in Oxford, England, University of Texas, Arlington and Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis. Jane has long been an advocate for the artists’ book. Her graduate these, A History of Art Book Publishing in Great Britain, serves as the foundation for many programs and classes she has taught on the art and history of books, including classes on William Morris, the history of the book, as well as artists’ books and social justice movements. In 2008, Jane brought the book arts to the Collins Library and has worked with community members to form Puget Sound Book Artists, an organization dedicated to supporting and promoting book arts. Jane is the curator of numerous exhibits at the Collins Library and currently serves as the Vice-President of the PSBA organization.

Diana Weymar lives in Victoria, BC. She has a studio practice and is the creator of Interwoven Stories, an international textile project. She grew up in the wilderness of Northern British Columbia, studied creative writing at Princeton, and worked in film in New York City. Interwoven Stories has been exhibited and implemented in Colombia, Switzerland, Syria, Canada, and the States. She has worked with, is working with or had a residency with The Zen Hospice Project, The Nantucket Atheneum, The University of Puget Sound, UMass Amherst, The Peddie School, The Arts Council of Princeton, Build Peace, Trans Tipping Point Project, and The Textile Arts Center (Manhattan). Her work has been exhibited and collected in the States and Canada. She also curated art for the NRG Energy Headquarters in Princeton, NJ.

I am thrilled and honored to be n this show, and cannot wait to see the catalog of all the Stitched Up works included.
It should be fascinating.

Gratitudes.

Sharing Shows 1: “OFFAL”

June 21, 2019 By Debra Disman

I am excited and honored to be included in a number of current and upcoming shows across the US, and will be sharing about them in blog form, as well as in the EVENTS section of my website, as a way of further describing and chronicling my practice, honoring colleagues, and sharing gratitude for these opportunities and the people, organizations and institutions that make them happen. Shout out to Steven Wong, astrobuddha and Curator at the LAMAG/the Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery and Elon Schoenholz, Photographer extraordinaire.

First up is not too awful, just a little bit

“OFFAL”

August 15 – September 29
Opening reception: Sunday, August 11, 2 – 5 PM

The Los Angeles Municipal Art Gallery presents Offal, a group exhibition conceived from the subject of offal (ˈôfəl,ˈäfəl) or the culture of consuming innards.

WOW.

“Of all cultural taboos, those related to food are the most difficult to dispel. Food represents deeply rooted sets of ideas and beliefs — particularly with respect to self-identity and community. Offal is no different. In some cultures, offal is stigmatized for its socioeconomic and racial implications, while others treat and eat offal as an everyday means of survival or a delicacy. In keeping with this anatomy of offal, the exhibition seeks to expand the traditional parameters of cultural identity: raw, refigured and, in some cases, delightfully grotesque.” —OFFAL

I will be showing “Throes of the Body“, sculptural Artists’ Book, 13 x 27 x 10.25”, mixed media, 2018

Side view, open/outside-inside

Front view, open/inside

Back view, open/outside
Photos: Elon Schoenholz (Beautiful work…)

“The exhibition features a variety of work from forty-three Los Angeles-based contemporary artists who use traditional and unconventional techniques and media in their approach to the five overlapping themes that feed into the exhibition: labor, discard and waste, transcultural idioms, cultural retention and shame, and the abject. Notable works include Jim Shaw’s Dream Object (Digestive tract sculpture), a mixed media sculpture exploring their “inner” unconscious psyche; Victoria Reynolds’s oil paintings and charcoal drawings that give life to disemboweled organs while simultaneously serving as a memento mori of unfamiliar culinary cuts/organs only found in specialty “ethnic” markets; Danial Nord’s Sleeper, a video-driven sculptural fountain in the form of a translucent sculpture molded from his own body that examines the individual and societal consumption and digestion of today’s political rhetoric – on exhibit for the first time in Los Angeles; and a video collaboration between Gazelle Samizay and Labkhand Olfatmanesh that explores émigrés food traditions that can often outlive language through sanctifying ceremonies and family bonds.

At its heart, the exhibition seeks to unpack and celebrate the city of Los Angeles’ relationship to diversity and food in all of its forms — ultimately speaking to the offal in all of us.

Artists participating in Offal were selected from an open call for entries by a jury comprised of Ron Finley, proponent of urban gardening and South LA community leader; Julio César Morales, artist, educator, and curator; and Genevieve Erin O’Brien, artist, culinary adventurer and community organizer.

The selected artists include Panteha Abareshi, Edmund Arevalo, Phoebe Barnum, Andrea Bogdan, Johanna Breiding, SoYun Cho, Heisue Chung-Matheu, Ciriza, Debra Disman, Alexandre Dorriz, gloria galvez, Natalia Garcia Clark, Matt Hollis, Sara Hunsucker, Grace Hwang, Sarah Julig, Shannon Keller, Sydney Mills, Leo Mondor, Flavia Monteiro, Albert Natian, Alex Nazari, Jim Newberry, Dakota Noot, Avital Oehler, Labkhand Olfatmanesh, Abel Olivieri, Elisa Ortega Montilla, Carolie Parker, Antonia Price, Colin Roberts, Larisa Safaryan, Gazelle Samizay, Stephanie Sherwood, Emilia Ukkonen and Reed van Brunschot.

In addition, a selection of artists were invited to participate in the exhibition, including Bonnie Huang, Robert Karimi, Mark Mulroney, Danial Nord, Victoria Reynolds, Jim Shaw, Jeannine Shinoda and Jeffrey Vallance.” — OFFAL

It will be just “offally” fascinating, to see what everyone has done…can’t wait for this one!

Is not our work really, truly finished until it has been seen?

Making Books, Making Community at the Brentwood Art Center!

June 16, 2019 By Debra Disman

Teaching community workshop in June on Flag Books and Found Text at the Brentwood Art Center was pure joy!

“Fun with Flag (pages)” was had by all.

Adults and children alike created marvelous flag book creations and had a blast in the process!

Participants learned to fold an accordion spine, add covers, and attach the flag pages on alternating sides of the spine to create a pattern that changed as the book was opened.