Exhibitionista: “CONTENT” at The Artery

I am honored to be included in CONTENT, a show of Artists’ Books at The Artery, in Davis, CA.

Click Here to Join us for the online reception!

“Artist Books typically defy classification, definition, and expectations. They are vessels for an artist’s vision. To understand what an artist book is you have to forget your definition of a book.”

According to the Smithsonian Institute Library blog, “An artist’s book is a medium of artistic expression that uses the form or function of ‘book’ as inspiration. It is the artistic initiative seen in the illustration, choice of materials, creation process, layout and design that makes it an art object. …”

“What truly makes an artist’s book is the artist’s intent, and artists have used the book as inspiration in a myriad of ways and techniques, from traditional to the experimental. The book could be made through fine press printing or hand-crafted, the pages illustrated with computer-generated images or cheap photocopies; books became sculptures, tiny and gargantuan; books were sliced up and reconfigured, made from all kinds of materials with unconventional objects incorporated, in unique or limited editions, or produced in multiple copies. With all sorts of ideas behind them, artists continue to challenge the idea, content and structure of the traditional book.”

There is a special guest juror for this exhibition: Nikki Thompson of Deconstructed Artichoke Press.
Nikki Thompson is a book artist (aka Deconstructed Artichoke Press) and poet. With an MFA from the California College of the Arts, her art explores architecture, feminism, and the politics of work through the mixed media of bookmaking, printmaking, and photography. Her work has been awarded First Prize at Gallerie Renee Marie and a Purchase Prize at 23 Sandy Gallery. She has also been nominated for a Pushcart Prize and received the College Book Arts Association Project Assistance Grant. Her work can be seen at www.deconstructedartichokepress.com.

Co-juror: Adele Louise Shaw of Circle A Studio.
Adele is a book artist and a painter. Her career as an artist has been punctuated with wildly diverse artistic explorations but she grew up surrounded by hand-bound books made by her great-grand parents. Her bookbinding studies started with classes in Japan and Thailand. Adele’s book work is squarely focused on a different, newish book form referred to as “Artist Books”. Many of her hand-bound books are derived from her work as a painter. She never ceases to try new methods and materials to actualize her vision. She teaches book classes out of her studio in Davis, California. You can view her work at www.adeleshaw.com.

I am showing:
“Narrow Bridge”, 5.5 x 16 x 3.5″, mixed media
“Narrow Bridge” is an “Artists’ Book”, which can be opened to about 16+” wide, but can be displayed opened to 8-10″, standing upright. It is a flag book structure and is made of board, paper, linen thread, and fabric. It says, “All the world is a narrow bridge, the important thing is not to fear.” (Indeed…!)