Rare Books Catalogue 76 – Contemporary Book Arts
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Priscilla Juvelis – Rare Books Catalogue 76 – Contemporary Book Arts Pop-Up Carousel Book 2. Chiarlone, Rosemarie and Susan Weiner. Linger. Miami Beach, FL: 2016. $3,000 1. Bishop, Bonnie. The Moon-Hare and the Lynx. Unique artist’s book made from “found” beaded black silk taffeta Cornville, ME: 2018. $3,750 bolero onto which the artist has embroidered the text of Susan Unique artist’s book, pop-up in carousel format, with circle poem, Weiner’s poem, “Linger” in gold metallic embroidery floss. Size: executed in hand-painted and collaged papers on black Stonehenge 17-½ x 19-¾ x ¾ inches, 9 “pages” of 9 inside pock- ets added by the artist of black silk taffeta on which the text has been embroidered, plus a small pocket for the hand-written colophon on two pieces of black Fabriano paper lettered in metallic gold ink, housed in custom- made black book cloth lidded box with ties to hold bolero book in place. The artist’s statement tells the reader / viewer that “LINGER addresses the concept that clothing functions as a means of feminine self-expression. While indirect and thus disconnected from the inner self, it acts like a second skin. It covers and protects yet projects the inner life and true self.” Ms. Chiarlone papers for background structure and box, various mould-made has collaborated with poet Susan Weiner on several artist’s books, papers for collages and watercolor papers for pop-ups, lettered in almost all of them with a feminist message. The “found” vintage white and purple inks, signed and dated in silver by the artist, bolero vest is heavily beaded in blue, silver, and gold, depicting Bonnie Bishop, on the bottom of first page. Page size: 8 (W) x 10 half views of the larger moon and smaller sun interspersed with (L) inches; 16-inch diameter circle when open; 16pp. Bound by stars, rays in gold and silver shooting out from the respective the artist, Bonnie Bishop, folios through which a dowel slides discs. Bordering these images on a blue ground in gold beads are forming the “spine” of the book, top of dowel is black knob, symbols of the zodiac. housed in black stiff paper lidded box, The text runs along the The text in gold bottom of each page. The lynx chases the hare over white / blue gilt thread reads: “Slip tundra under the purple northern lights. The collaged Moon-Hare away / and linger / and Lynx figures leap off each page, wrapping around to the where the night / is following. A sense of motion is perfectly conveyed. When the darker & / slide into / white hare jumps and lands on the moon, the lynx is astonished, and glittering heels / and the reader is beguiled. On each page the constellation for the Lynx sparkling gown / adorn is on verso and the constellation for Hare (Lepus) in on the recto. with stars / moon rays To assemble the carousel, each page spread is unfurled and the / brilliant jewels / dowel slides through the spine paper loops. The bottom of each Glowing / promises / page folds up so that the standing carousel has the text as the Entice / embolden / where the / shadows / are.” platform on which the lynx and hare play out their story of survival This is a striking object, with a text that captures the in the Arctic. This is a movable book with a structure that conveys emboldened attitude implicit in the beaded vest - as if the wearer the meaning of the images and verse reflecting the circle of life has assumed another identity. And, as the artist, Rosemarie (except for jumping into the moon, of course). It is, all at once, Chiarlone notes, clothing, for women (and more than a few men), quite beautiful and simply wonderful. (11370) enables them to be who they want to be. (11358) 3. Culmone, Nancy. Ojitos Flora. Serafina, NM: 2015. geometry of flowers and their petals. The reader / viewer follows $7,500 the beautiful organic lettering in blue (on the maze Bodleian) or Artist’s book, unique from a series of five planned books, this white (on the MacGregor Blue) with the subtle geometric circles book on handmade Katie MacGregor blue paper and vintage in white positioned with delicacy throughout the pages, entranced by the three-dimensionality of the actual floral renderings. Of very great beauty is the double-page spread of the artist’s property surrounded by those of her Colonial-Spanish-descendant neigh- bors, heirs to the Tecolote Land Grant. Local grasses are named. The wildflowers themselves are botanically-accurate images of great subtly and beauty. The flowers are named with their Latin and common names, some with notation of the number of petals, others with their uses, or how they Bodleian, signed by the artist / author on the last page in pencil, propagate. The con- 3 5 nection between Nancy Culmone, and dated 2015. Page size: 10- /8 x 8- /8 inches; 66pp. including titlepage and colophon. Bound by the artist: hand- flowers and the rest painted archival card stock front and back covers and inside turn- of the natural world in, impressionist views of that area of New Mexico where the is encapsulated in artist resides with its blue / purple mountains with reddish high- the page that starts, lights, hand-sewn with linen on vellum tabs, title hand-lettered in “Venus, the planet white gouache on front panel; housed in custom-made blue cloth between Mercury over boards clamshell box with title in white on inset blue painted and Earth, draws a pastepaper. Ms. Culmone has lettered her text using copperplate huge pentagram pointed pens and Winsor and Newton gouache with added glair. around the Earth every eight years. The inner-most part of this orbital path, where Venus changes direction, looks like a simple radially symmetrical flower.” The tradition of florals is almost as old as humankind. Some are quite grand in size and scope; others are more manageable for single viewer. This beautiful book is certainly in that tradition and perhaps takes it further, as the author / artist is quite conscious of the fact that she may be documenting a soon-to-be lost world. A deceptively simple book of extraordinary elegance and beauty, it is to be savored. (11360) 4. Jackman, Sandra. Alas! [New York, NY]: 2018. $2,800 Unique artist’s book / book object, on white card stock, signed and dated by the artist, Sandra Jackman, on the inside rear pastedown. Page size: 4(W) x 6(H) inches; 18pp. Bound by the artist: accor- dion-style book (leporello) with front and back covers black cloth The drawings are in sumi ink and white and yellow gold leaf over boards, front panel collaged colored pencils, gouache and glair. The artist used technical with white paper which has been drawing tools - ruling pen, dividers, compass - with gouache and heavily painted and further walnut ink. collaged with cut-out images The artist notes in her “Artist Statement” that she has drawn which have also been lettered and only the wildflowers on the property of her home in New Mexico painted, title on top left of cover, as the subject of this extraordinary book. “The semi-arid land, at lettering in white ink on black on 6,000 feet, is surrounded by tall mesas and the foothills of the lower half of front, “In a few Rockies. The wildflowers growing here bloom every 1 to 7 years moments there might be nothing depending on rainfall and timing.” Now, with warming tempera- left to suggest what happened tures and less rain, she notes she sees fewer flowers each year. here.” Back panel collaged with She ends with the desperate and haunting statement, “Sadly, this “frame” structure around image series of books may become a record of what was.” of mass destruction superim- The page spreads flow seamlessly into one another. The artist posed with open book, red text intersperses circular diagrams in white or pencil, which act as a above frame: “Who will spin unifying thread throughout the book and reflect the basic words into wheels?” and below, “Who will fix all that’s broken?” Priscilla Juvelis, Inc. (207) 967-0909 [email protected] Pope with a red line across his eyes set against a map of Germany and central Europe. Images of the Virgin and Baby Jesus are collaged against what might be wire fences. Hitler and the praying Virgin appear to be free falling on the penultimate page. Perhaps the most disturbing page is that featuring the various Nazi concen- tration camp badges worn by inmates. In all, the disturbing juxta- positions re-enforce the dismay with which the west has viewed this Concordat. The Reichskonkordat was a treaty between Germany and the Holy See normalizing relations between the Catholic Church and the Nazi regime which had recently come to power in Germany. Housed in black wood presentation box, with touches of red along Pope Pius XI had approved the treaty, and it was signed on July 20, edges, book viewed through plexiglass window that is removable 1933 by the Vatican Sec- to release book. Sculpture on back of box uses watch parts, metal retary of State, Cardinal findings, thread and paint to suggest space vehicle with a tiny Eugenio Pacelli, (later plastic soldier aboard standing in the shadow of a larger figure Pope Pius XII) and Franz who might be a hero or villain; smaller craft hovering nearby made von Papen. It was a con- of collaged found objects. The book and its presentation case are troversial treaty which a cautionary tale of impending disaster. The book reads, in part, seemed to promise that “The clouds are gathering” and “Small people appear and the Church could carry disappear...Warning...Keep Out...make no mistake small people out its spiritual mission.