BOOKS

The Art of the Book, and then some….

September 22, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to be showing “Burning Bush”

7.5 x 11 x 5.5″, mixed media

IN
THE 2021 ART OF THE BOOK & PAPER SCULPTURE

Exhibition at the Rochester Public Library through October 30, 2021.

“In 2011, we held the first Art of the Book exhibit in honor of the 100th anniversary of the Rochester Public Library. At the time, we wanted to celebrate what has been at the core of libraries for centuries–the book. We marveled over the intricate interpretations of this humble format, and we were thrilled with the response to the exhibit from the community.”

“In subsequent years, the exhibit has grown to include entries from all over the world, featuring well-known artists for their exquisite work. We have built a reputation worldwide among book artists, and we are so pleased to see that reputation upheld.

Books continue to ensnare the imagination, both for their form and content. Artists manipulate those two components to create breathtaking, mind-bending works of art that tease and cajole people to consider the intricacies of paper, ink, words, and meaning.

In commemoration of the 10th Anniversary, Paper Sculpture has been added as a new category, to celebrate the extraordinary use of paper, in any art form that combines or shapes papers.”

Artist Books are…

works of art realized in the form of a book. They are often published in small editions, though sometimes they are produced as one-of-a-kind objects referred to as ‘unique.’ Artist Books have employed a wide range of forms including scrolls, fold-outs, concertinas, or loose items contained in a box, as well as bound printed sheets. Artists have been active in printing and book production for centuries, but the artist book is primarily a late 20th century art form.

Altered Books are…
any book, old or new, that has been recycled by creative means into a work of art. They can be rebound, painted, cut, burned, folded, added to, collaged in, gold-leafed, rubber stamped, drilled or otherwise adorned…and yes, it is legal. They can also be composed entirely of unique materials.

Paper Sculptures are…
artworks created as sculptures using paper in some form as the predominant medium. These sculptures are three-dimensional and can be either free-standing or bas relief and would be considered art forms in themselves. Paper sculpture can be functional or non-functional with attention to pushing the limits of how paper can be used and explores paper in inventive and unique ways.

July 9, 2021: Show opens
October 30, 2021: Exhibition closes

Join us for the virtual and in-person reception:
Wednesday, September 29, 2021 from 5:30 Pm – 7 PM, and invite you to join us either in person or virtually via Zoom.

If you would like to join us virtually, we will start at 5:45 PM with a tour of the exhibit and presentation of awards, Zoom invite below.
Topic: Art of the Book Reception
Time: Sep 29, 2021 05:45 PM Eastern Time (US and Canada)
Join Zoom Meeting: https://us06web.zoom.us/j/81326994757?pwd=aTVlY2NPZ3dab1hXU0lvSUJEaGQ2Zz09

Meeting ID: 813 2699 4757

Passcode: 133584

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Meeting ID: 813 2699 4757

Passcode: 133584

Find your local number: https://us06web.zoom.us/u/kc4tNRNDRu

For further information contact: Alicia Gunther at (585) 428-8053

View the show online: AOB_2021_Program (1)

View the show IN PERSON:

Rochester Public Library
115 South Avenue
Rochester, NY 14604 United States + Google Map
Phone: 585- 428-8053
Website: https://roccitylibrary.org/artofthebook/

“The Fine Art of Denim”

September 22, 2021 By Debra Disman

I has thrilled to be included in

at Monmouth University Center for the Arts Pollak Gallery
June 17 – October 14 , 2021

I am showing two Artists’ Books of which denim is a primary material:

Reading Color I (outside) 8.75 x 13.25 x 6.25″, mixed media/artists’ book

Reading Color VI (outside)7.5 x 17 x 8″, mixed media/artists’ book

These works utilize denim, which is altered through painting, cutting and gluing to form coverings and pages for the books.

Denim, with all its symbols and dualities, is a common item of clothing that unites many around the globe. Dad Jeans, skinny jeans, low riders, bell bottoms, boot leg, wide leg, no leg, 501s, 504s, button fly, stretch jeans, the American dress code writ large across centuries. With so many styles available and ways to accessorize/manipulate the fabric, denim has historically allowed for a freedom of expression representing both individuality and shifts in cultural movements. Denim comes in a wide range of blues and other colors, washes, fades and textures making it a perfect, but not obvious, medium to create fine artwork. Join us now, for a re-imagining of the meaning of denim. Denim that was discarded can open up a new way of looking, a startling way of seeing past the everyday. What we have abandoned, will be presented again, re-purposed from the lives we lived, to moments we experience together “forever in blue jeans.”

Monmouth University’s Center for the Art is exhibiting the work of artists who use recycled denim in new and creative ways in paintings, sculpture, collages, small constructions and wall hangings, etc. from June 17 – October 14 , 2021 in the Pollak Gallery. Works shown use denim as the principal medium of the piece and the fabric are reconstructed from its original form in some way.

See The Show Here!

Extended to October 14th!

Pollak Gallery, Monmouth University Center for the Arts400 Cedar Ave,
West Long Branch, NJ 07764 United States + Google Map
Phone:732.263.5715Website:https://www.monmouth.edu/mca/pollak-gallery/

“drift” over to the Brand

September 21, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to participate in the exhibition
Brand 49 Annual National Juried Exhibition of Works on Paper,

September 11 – October 30, 2021, showing a collaborative artist book work created with contemporary artist Luciana Abait, entitled, “drift“. The piece highlights the effect humans are having on our precious and fragile environment, specifically, the melting of the polar icecaps in Antarctica.

Juror of Brand 49 is Marvella Muro, Director of Artistic Programs and Education at Self Help Graphics and Art (SHG) in Los Angeles. From it’s inception in 1973, Self Help Graphics has been nationally known for functioning at the intersection of the arts and social justice. Providing a home that fosters the creativity and development of local artists, it is the pre-eminent center for Latinx printmaking and a resource for young and emerging artists.

Brand 49 is organized by the Associates of Brand Library & Art Center, an all volunteer non-profit that raises funds to support the extensive free and public events at Brand including gallery exhibitions, classical and popular music performances, film screenings, dance performances, and activities for people of all ages.

See a video of

Watch a video of “drift” and see it in detail, then visit it, and see all the wonderful works employing paper at:

The Brand Library and Art Center
1601 West Mountain Street
Glendale, CA 91201 United States + Google Map
Phone: (818) 548-2051
Website: https://www.brandlibrary.org/

Thank you for stopping by, we hope seeing “drift” inspired thought, consideration and contemplation. Enjoy the show!

Facing REFLECTION at the Korean Cultural Center

August 18, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to be participating in:

REFLECTION at the The Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles in partnership with Launch LA co-juried by Sunook Park and Terrell Tilford

A reflection may be an image mirrored back to the observer or serious thought and consideration. In the case of this exhibition, it’s both. Launch LA, in partnership with the Korean Cultural Center presents “Reflection”, an open call exhibition.

Sunook Park is a professor in the CSULB School of Art and Brand Coach at SUNOOKPARK Branding. He is the independent curator and founder of ANDLAB: a motivational retreat center, alternative exhibition space, and education lab of art and design thinking.

Terrell Tilford is an accomplished actor as well as long time collector and curator of contemporary and modern art. He founded Band of Vices in the West Adams area of LA in 2015. The gallery serves as a platform for emerging, mid-career & established Contemporary artists.

LAUNCH LA believes exposure to the arts enhances quality of life and strengthens community through the shared appreciation of creative expression in all its forms and hybrids. LAUNCH LA is passionate about providing artists with quality opportunities to present themselves and their creations that reflect our times to a curious and enthusiastic audience at important happenings throughout Los Angeles.

The Korean Cultural Center, Los Angeles (KCCLA) is the axis of Korean heritage in Los Angeles. KCCLA welcomes the general public to experience Korea’s rich traditions and history through specialized programs, sponsored events, and multiple learning resources. KCCLA will always aspire to promote cultural exchanges in southern California and continue to take initiative in globalizing the excellence of Korean culture.

For more information, contact:
James Panozzo, Executive Director LAUNCH LA
[email protected]
www.launchla.org

I am showing, “Maximum Security“, 15 x 18 x 10.25”, mixed media (book board, canvas, wood, hemp cord, watercolor paper, acrylic paint and ink)

Tour the Show!

Eye Opening: The 2021 California Open at TAG Gallery

August 18, 2021 By Debra Disman

I am thrilled to participate in the The 2021 California Open at TAG Gallery!

ABOUT THE SHOW

The 16th Annual 2021 California Open is a national juried competition celebrating contemporary and modern art by US Residents over the age of 18. All medias of fine art were considered by our juror, Gronk Nicandro. Accepted work displays at TAG Gallery from August 4–21, 2021. An opening reception celebrating the selected artists will occur on August 7, from 7-10pm. All awards will be announced at the public opening. (Masks may be required).

Juror Gronk Nicandro

Gronk is the moniker of artist Glugio Nicandro. Along with vast and never-ending self- education, he studied visual art at the East Los Angeles College and California State University, Los Angeles in the 1970s. Gronk is an enduring and influential figure in the Los Angeles and international art scenes — maintaining an active studio in downtown Los Angeles that functions as his live-work space and an epicenter for other artists and community members. Along with a core group of artists, Gronk helped establish Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions (LACE) in 1978. In 1993, a traveling retrospective of his work, Gronkl: A Living Survey, 1972 – 1993, was organized by the Mexican Museum in San Francisco and traveled to several institutions including the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA). Gronk exhibited at LACMA again in 2011 for the exhibition ASCO: Elite of the Obscure. Gronk’s work is represented in numerous private and museum collections across the country, including the Corcoran Gallery of Art and the Smithsonian Institute in Washington D.C.; the San Francisco Museum of modern Art (SFMoMa); the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA); and the Museum of Contemporary Art (MOCA), Los Angeles. Gronk’s Theater of Paint marks the artist’s first solo museum exhibition in Los Angeles in more than two decades.

I am pleased to be showing “Prairie”,10.25″ x 47″ x 15.25″, mixed media (book board, watercolor paper, jute cord, paper board, and tissue paper)

“Unfolding Possibilities” for RECOVERY JUSTICE: BEING WELL

August 16, 2021 By Debra Disman

An initiative of the Los Angeles Count Department of Mental Health, Why We Rise LA took place in May 2021, supporting hundreds of Community Arts & Culture Projects which took place across all Los Angeles County neighborhoods, in partnership with more than 100 community groups, artists, grassroots leaders, healers and other LA County Departments. These projects and collaborations included mural making, ancestral healing workshops, a Countywide public literary art project, a Countywide chalk art program and more to celebrate the remarkable resources and communities in LA County and used arts-based strategies for healing and wellbeing.

I was honored to teach a workshop as part of Why We Rise LA 2021 in coordination with 18th Street Art Center’s Arts Learning Lab @ Home: called: Bookmaking with Self-Compassion.
See the workshop HERE!
Nearly 70 online participants learned to create the “Flower Fold” book structure, then added embellishment, images, and words expressing their experience of the pandemic, where they are at now, what they learned, what they wanted to share, their hopes, wishes, dreams, cares , fears, realizations, trauma, expressing the full gamut of human emotions.

The range of words submitted was wide-ranging, thought-provoking and evocative….including opposite emotions and experiences and bits of truth-telling, realizations and wisdom participants seemed eager to pass on to others in other words, humanness in its multiplicity.

I took the words generated by this workshop, and requested from the community at large, and stitched them into an Artists’ Book I made as a community collaboration, entitled, “Unfolding Possibilities“. (“Unfolding Possibilities – Possibilities Unfolding”). Videographer Jeny Amaya created a video of the project which was screened during the 18th Street Art Center event, “Left/Right/Here“

“Unfolding Possibilities” is on view in the Recovery Justice: Being Well exhibition, at 18th Street Art Center‘s Airport Campus Gallery, through September 10, 2021.