The Legacy of Lynd Ward in Contemporary Artists' Books By
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The Legacy of Lynd Ward in Contemporary Artists’ Books by Sara A. Friedman A.A. in Business Administration, May 2002, Montgomery College B.A. in Art and Archaeology, May 2012, Hood College A Thesis submitted to The Faculty of The Columbian College of Arts and Sciences of The George Washington University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Art and the Book May 15, 2016 Thesis directed by Kerry McAleer-Keeler Associate Professor of Art and Design Program Head, Art and the Book Graduate Program © Copyright 2016 by Sara A. Friedman All rights reserved ii Dedication Dedicated to Lynd Ward for all his inspiration to a new generation of book artists. iii Acknowledgements The author wishes to thank all the teachers and professors of the Art and the Book Graduate Program, especially Associate Professors Kerry McAleer-Keeler and Kenneth Smith, for helping this thesis come to fruition. The author would also like to thank her spouse, Dr. Michael Friedman, for all his support through long nights and days. iv Thesis Abstract The Legacy of Lynd Ward in Contemporary Artists’ Books Lynd Ward, an American Expressionist artist, and “father of the graphic novel,” helped shape the conventions of contemporary artists’ books. His legacy has influenced the direction beyond the graphic novel in areas such as the use of Expressionism and printmaking in the artists’ book, breaking graphic conventions, and using the artists’ book to convey a socio-political commentary. This paper will explain his influence and legacy by comparing his work to four contemporary artists’ books. Ward’s work, however, has only recently been recognized as a significant influence on graphic novels and has yet to be fully acknowledged as an influence on American artists’ books. v Table of Contents Dedication .......................................................................................................................... iii Acknowledgements ............................................................................................................ iv Abstract ............................................................................................................................... v List of Figures ................................................................................................................... vii Introduction ......................................................................................................................... 1 Lynd Ward’s Life And Influences ...................................................................................... 3 Wordless Novels ................................................................................................................. 6 Lynd Ward’s Wordless Novels ........................................................................................... 7 The Graphic Novel and The Book Artist .......................................................................... 12 Why Is Lynd Ward Largely Absent from the Artists’ Book Dialogue? ........................... 14 Shaping The (Then) Future Artists’ Book ........................................................................ 16 The Legacy of Lynd Ward and Equinox Press ................................................................. 17 The Comparative Artists’ Books ...................................................................................... 21 Small Press Production and Printmaking Methods ....................................................... 21 Political Message and Social Commentary ................................................................... 24 Graphic Narrative Styles ............................................................................................... 26 Conclusion ........................................................................................................................ 29 Bibliography ..................................................................................................................... 40 vi List of Figures Figure 1: untitled [photograph of Lynd Ward] retrieved March 3, 2016 from www.ojsserv.dom.edu. Photo by unknown. ..................................................................... 31 Figure 2: Frans Masereel, The Sun, 1919. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Borgesian Circulating Depository, http://danskjavlarna.tumblr.com/post/140414856294/djinn- gallery-frans-masereel-the-sun-1919. Photo by Dansk Javlarna. ..................................... 31 Figure 3: Lynd Ward, 2010, God’s Man. A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1929). Photo by author……...……………………..……………………………………..32 Figure 4: Lynd Ward, 2010, Madman’s Drum, A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1930). Photo by author. ..................................................................................................... 32 Figure 5: Lynd Ward, 2010, Wild Pilgrimage, A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1932). Photo by author. ..................................................................................................... 33 Figure 6: Lynd Ward, 2010, Prelude To A Million Years, A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1933). Photo by author. .................................................................................... 33 Figure 7: Lynd Ward, 2010, Song Without Words, A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1936). Photo by author. .................................................................................... 34 Figure 8: Lynd Ward, 2010, Vertigo, A. Spiegelman (ed.), Lynd Ward: Six Novels in Woodcuts. New York: The Library of America. (Original work published 1937). Photo by author….……………….………………………………………………………34 Figure 9: Art Spiegelman, Prisoner on the Hell Planet, from Maus, 1986, graphic novel. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Julia Alexia Cecilia Case’s Portfolio, https://bu.digication.com/jaccase/Prisoner_on_the_Hell_Planet. Photo by J.A.C. Case. .................................................................................................................................. 35 Figure 10: Johanna Drucker, Testament of Women, 2006, artists’ book with letterpress and linoleum. The Collection of Johanna Drucker. Photo by J. Drucker. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Artists’ Books Online, http://www.artistsbooksonline.org/works/tewo/imageindex/1.1.1.15.xml. ...................... 36 Figure 11: Johanna Drucker, Testament of Women, 2006, artists’ book with letterpress and linoleum. The Collection of Johanna Drucker. Photo by J. Drucker. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Artists’ Books Online, http://www.artistsbooksonline.org/works/tewo/imageindex/1.1.1.13.xml. ...................... 36 vii Figure 12: Eric Drooker, Home, 1986, graphic novel, page 38. The Personal Collection of Johanna Drucker. Photo by unknown. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Artists’ Books Online, http://www.artistsbooksonline.org/works/home/imageindex/1.1.1.43.xml ...................... 37 Figure 13: Heather O’Hara, The Handbook of Practical Geographies, 2004, Screw post with paper cover with screenprint, woodcut, digital, and letterpress. 28cm x 43cm. Women’s Studio Workshop, Rosendale, NY. Photo by unknown. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from http://www.wsworkshop.org/collection/the-handbook-of-practical- geographies/……………………………………………………………………………..38 Figure 14: Eric Drooker, Home, 1986, graphic novel, page 38 and page 40. The Personal Collection of Johanna Drucker. Photo by unknown. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from Artists’ Books Online, http://www.artistsbooksonline.org/works/home/imageindex/1.1.1.43.xml and http://www.artistsbooksonline.org/works/home/imageindex/1.1.1.45.xml. ……............38 Figure 15: Jeffrey W. Morin, 14 Stations, 2008, artists’ book with linoleum prints, 9.75” x 12.25”. sailorBOYpress, Stevens Point, WI. Photo by sailorBOYpress. Retrieved March 3, 2016 from http://www.sailorboypress.com/portfolios/books/fourteen_stations.aspx. ……………..39 viii Introduction Contemporary artists’ books are known for their intense handmade graphics, intense political themes and differing graphic conventions to the modern novel. These three directions have an origin in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries with art currents such as Expressionism and the Arts and Craft movement. One of the biggest influences in American art on the modern artists’ book was Lynd Ward. Lynd Ward, who is considered the "father of the graphic novel"1 and has been hailed for his wordless novels made from groups of woodcuts, has produced a significant impact on American artists’ books. A highly influential American Expressionist artist, Ward is also renowned for his illustrations for children's books, winning the Caldecott Award in 1953. Whereas a lot has been written about his graphic novel influence by such authors as Art Spiegelman, noticeably there is a lacuna in the literature about Lynd Ward’s work and how he was an instrumental influence on contemporary artists’ books. This paper will examine the ways in which Lynd Ward has helped shape the contemporary artists’ book, moving beyond the graphic novel. This paper will be adding to the recent research into Ward’s impact on American graphic conventions and furthering the field of artists’ book literature.