Debra Disman

Artist

ACCORDION SPINE

Teens Raise their Flags at the West Valley Regional Branch Library

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In July I started a new Artist Residency in Bookmaking, “We Write the Book” at the West Valley Regional Branch Library of the Los Angeles Public Library, through the Los Angeles City Department of Cultural Affairs.
The Residency is comprised of a series of bookmaking workshops presented at the Library, planned in close coordination with Library Staff.
I was thrilled to work with the newly forming Teen Council, organized by teen Librarian Roya Rahimi.

Teens and tweens and even a parent or two joined us, and learned to make the fun and fabulous Flag Book!
They folded accordion spines, added covers, and glued in their flag pages to create a pattern as they opened their books. Once they created the structure, they had the pleasure, and  “reward” of adding their own colorful content to their books, using magazines, images, text, origami paper, and more.
A self-expressive, creative time was had by all.
A great kick-off session for the Teen Council, and a pleasure for myself and Roya!

Tierra Del Sol at the Sunland-Tujunga Library

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A group of makers from Tierra Del Sol visited the Sunland-Tujunga Library, and participated in a flag bookmaking workshop as part of my artist residency there, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

It was an honor to work with these participants!

 

 

Raising our Flags at the Sunland-Tujunga Library!

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Continuing my 2019-20 Artist Residency at the Sunland-Tujunga Library, supported by the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs, I led a  Bookmaking program, for teens, the winning, fun, wild and versatile Flag Book!

In addition to teens, families attended as well, and learned to fold an accordion spine, attach covers to it, and add the flag pages to create a pattern that created all kinds of options for text and visuals.


Color choices are one of the first ways the young makers express themselves.


Students from the nearby Verdugo Hills High School shared that the artmaking was a welcome break from academic pressures.

Great use of magazine text and letters.

Celebrating “STEAM VHHS” (STEAM is an educational approach to learning that uses Science, Technology, Engineering, the Arts and Mathematics as access points for guiding student inquiry, dialogue, and critical thinking, VHHS is Verdugo Hills High School).

So glad the Arts are in there! All of these disciplines must work together if we are to move ahead in this World!

MANGA Love at the Granada Hills Branch Library

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A workshop designed for teens turned into a family and community affair, at the Granada Hills Branch Library.

As part of my Artist Residency at the Library, supported by the wonderful Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs,  we held a Flag Bookmaking program with a Manga comics theme. In addition to teens, families and makers of all ages attended, creating wild and wonderful “Manga” Flag Books!


Father and son work closely together, collaborating on a radiant red book.


This brilliant young maker was amused to realize that he was using the same colors in his very cool book as he was wearing!


Sister and brother work side by side. Getting along…in the moment of making.


This wonderful woman has a attended numerous workshops, and is becoming quite the bookmaker!


Three unrelated generations of makers, working together in an atmosphere of collective creativity.


A mother with her two daughters takes advantage of Library offerings.


Makers’ hands.


A measured smile from a teen assistant and maker…using color to tell as story in her book.

Using the popularity of Manga and the arresting structure of the flag book as a means of engagement, participants worked together as a community on their individual projects, learning, enjoying and sharing all at the same time.

Does it get any better than that?

Freedom of Expression and More…

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It has been exciting to lead programs at the Granada Hills Branch Library of the LAPL, as part of  my Artist Residency there:  “We Write the Book“, supported by the Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs

In honor of Martin Luther King Jr. Day and freedom in all its forms, participants created “single signature” sewn  and glued books, and then used their Freedom of Expression to develop and embellish the covers. A “signature” is a gathering of folded sheets that create pages for a book. Single signature bookbinding refers to a group of sheets (usually paper)  folded in the middle and bound together through sewing through their folds.

Although our program was originally planned for teens and “tweens”, several families attended including a number of dads with children. We had a wonderful time!


Sister and brother enjoy the delight of adding to their books after working step by step sewing and gluing to create them.


The glory of patterns. This young participant is age 3!


She attended with her mother.


In the background, mom and dad look on, taking a well-deserved break and enjoying the fun from the sidelines as their children worked and played.


Father offers support and presence to his son.


Our fearless leader, Branch Manager Pam, enjoys some creative “play” time, adding washi (decorative paper) tape to her book.

There is something very satisfying about hand-sewing a book together. It feels real…permanent. The work of our hands on a whole other level.
Hopefully, these books will continue to be developed at home, and most importantly, used!

 

In Resonant Residence (14)

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In Resonant Residence (14)

I formally began Studio Residency at the Camera Obscura Art Lab

in Santa Monica Wednesday January 10th, and completed it Saturday, April 21, 2018.  I shared the sunlit space, located within a beautiful Mid-century building overlooking Palisades Park, Santa Monica Beach and the blue Pacific with textile artist and fellow Studio Artist-in-Residence Huong Nguyen.
“About the Art Lab and Camera Obscura

1450 Exterior
Vintage Camera Obscura
 
 
 
 
Step inside the Camera Obscura Art Lab and you’ll find a welcoming space with fantastic views of Santa Monica Bay and the Pier. The Camera is located in a midcentury time capsule in Palisades Park between Broadway and Santa Monica Blvd on what was once the site of the Pacific Electric Railway’s North Beach Station. Designed by noted architect Weldon J. Fulton (who’s work can be found around town including the classic Camera Obscura sign and font, the Montana and Fairview branch libraries, and the former Zucky’s building on Wilshire Blvd), the building’s exterior features walls clad in chunky Palos Verdes stone, glass walls, sloping roofs, and projecting canopies and rafter beams. It was donated to the City of Santa Monica by Marcellus Joslyn in 1955.”

The huge studio windows look out on palms, walkways and a huge assortment of passers by, strollers, park wanderers and beach combers. The Studio is a magical place to work.

My thirteenth workshop, April 7, 2018, Creating Sculptural Books offered participants an opportunity to walk a bit on the wilder side, and create something new while learning some skills in the process.

We began by constructing what I call the “fan book” structure…an accordion folded spine, with front and back covers, and pages added to the same side of each fold.

It is a version of the flag book, invented by renowned book artist Hedi Kyle, but employs full-sized pages that fan out from the spine in the same direction, rather then the zig zig alternating pattern of the endlessly inventive flag book.

Then folks added to that structure, used it as a jumping off point if you will.

Others focused more specifically on embellishment…this was the way “in” for them.

Book artist Rachel Curry made a big “traditional” flag book, and adorned it with patterns using paint pens.

Step-by-step into new territory, in a safe space.

Ingredients for discovery.