OLD PLACES: on the Road with Jah
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SYNCHRONICI~& OLD PLACES: on the road with jah QmORD Invited by Plhilip Smith and the Designer Bookbimders The weather kcmemore English upon my enmnce to be a keynote speaker at their Intemfionall into Oxford. 1had a great reunion with Tim Ely, who Conference .in Oxford in September 1994, I went to was helping the binders see up exbibitions for the Europe in kite August to attend the Conference and Conference. We walked ahrough Oxford, getting a then go on to London, Paris and Amsterdam, with an fee1 for the town. We did notice how po~lutdthe air eventual stop at the Fr Book Fair, if I auld was in Oxford due to the besfrom large vehicles stretch resources until 5 October. The following is an such as buses and trucks, sioce England has no "on the road journal of my 33 days in Europe-- restraints on vehicles for pollution. Oxford is fme for impressions and interpretations. horsedrawn carriages, but not so myautomobiles. After a fme pub lunch, we visited the Musewn of While waiting for my plane to depart in Los Angeles, Oxford and the Museum of Modern Art, Oxford I saw Sigowitz from NYPD Blue on television--but I which hda Joseph Albers exhibition, which was a always see someone at the airport--Duke Ellington knockout! I also visited the Asholean on my own, one he,Ray Charles another--and so it goes. It felt which was undergoing a renovation at the entrance, like a good beginning to a long trip. but was a fine old friend for Tintoretto, coins, pots, Raving arrived at Heathrow, on abeautifd Sunday and so much more. morning with sunshine, a rare occurrence for me in The switch to the dormitories at CChrt Church all my days in London, I waited for the bus to Oxford College was fie--and the Great Hdwas magnificent. with a brisk breeze and blue skies. 1 just couldn't Eating breakfast, Ymch or dinner with King Henry believe it! Then on the bus, it seems that everyone VIII looking down at you--the founder of the College- was reading a book! And since I was going to speak -as well as W. H. Auden, or Lewis Carroll, who was on the fume of the book, well, I was delighted! Not dean there--well, it was amazing! It is a long and a laptop in sight. In Oxford, I noticed &at people beautiful Ml--more magnificent than one can ever were shopping--and it was a Sunday--and I was so imagine, and so much history has gone on in &at hall. surprised. Ody later did I learn that this Sunday was It was hard luck dhat all the libraries at Oxford were the first legal day of Sunday shopping in England-- closed the week we were there--it was their last and then I saw Haagen Dz, McDonald's, and really chance to have a holiday before school resumed, so did not feel at home. The cloning of America is so no Bodleian visit, no Radcliffe Camera--just the perverse--we send our worst fhs abroad, Disney outside of the buildings and not the interiors. The one sends everything abroad, and then all the franchises library that was opened for us was the one at the have invaded he culture of Europe. Christ Church College, with plaster ornamentation by My friends picked me up and I stayed in the country Thomas Roberts of Oxfordshire and it was exquisite in an old owe, with two white horses out in three-dimensional sculpture indeed. front and a crabapple tree, rose hips and cat. An Elizabeth home next door was being restored as a FWn!sf the Book home, a thatched roof farmhouse completely restored On 1 September, I gave a talk on Bookworks at the into a deluxe home with swimming pool, and the End of the Millennium: The Mitt or the Hand, which wide open space was a blessing after Los Angeles. covered my thoughts for the past 18 months on We took a wdk to the old church and cemetery, ate whether we will be reading screens and no longer a lovely meal at home and had gooseberry cobbler for handling books, or will the artist book become the dessert--with coffee! Yes, coffee has taken root even artifacts of the 21st century, and will we all be in England. reading books again with more zest than ever. The next day, a Monday, was a bank holiday and Speaking to bookbinders was a new experience, and my hosts scheduled a visit to the chalk Horse, an I dedicated the lecture to both Philip Smith who ancient outline on a hill in chalk, which resembled a made it possible for me to be in Oxford and to Hedi white horse. And then we went to Kingston Bagpuize Kyle, who changed the attitudes of artists in binding House, a manor house, where the young landlord, Mr. books well. Having not found my hst sheet of sEdes Lonsdale took us around and pointed out antiques, which would have set the tone for my talk, feverishly paintings of Hogarth, Constable, Honhorst, etc., the I began to compose a new talk based on the siides I !grounds, the Wendy House (a playhouse for children), did take with me--and so it was fresh and new and &e 200,000 oak trees which he intends to plant to better than ever. I knew it was a good talk--largely replace all the elms thae bave died in that area. because my heart pounded so hard before I began that I thought I would bave some kind of attack, but that meatns the a&edin was up, and I needed to fed ht interviewed her for a future issue of Umbrella. She way. has been in conresgondence with visual pets, mail H was greeted by Paula ellake, the founder of the artists, and performance artists &om all around the Concrete and Vism4 Pmry Archive in Oxford, and world. Her archive is indeed a treasure and one we went to her home to speak for hours abut dl which deserves great recognition. m,hk art and performance. We shared so my Because her husband is a glass artist, some of her old friends together &at I felt as if E had known Paula glass poems ate set in her windows and sunshine Claire for decades. P did an interview wirh 'her aIminated these pms to make a glorious visual subsequently, which I shall publish in the next issue experience. of Umbrella. Her axchive is mazing--on the top floor of her house, and it was a wondrous collection PhiBip & bmhy SmM hded Philip Smith is one of the great bookbinders, and a Oxford afforded good restaurants as well-Nepalese, visit to his studio as part of the Conference was a hdomian, Indian--it made for great meals and warm great treat! He calls his home the Book House, and fiends throughout my stay. with a great feast prepared by Dorothy and a wondrous visit to his studio in back, both Myand Pwl hhnwn mind were satiated. It was a great day at ehe Book Although I &d not attend many sessions of the House, after which we all dispersed---I to London for Designer Bookbinders, which was an iotemtiod a visit to old friends anrl old places. Upon arrival in conference, I did attend Paul Johon's session on London, I noticed immediately the Baker St. Station Popup Books, since he is a foremost proponent of was conlpleted decorated with tiles with Sherlock involving children in making books, and his forte is Holmes' profile in all dimensions on the tiles--a great gopup hoks. He has written several books on his tube station, but there were many more to come all techniques and for teachers in schools, so it was a thematically and aesthetically created by individual delight to see this colorful man actually gerform his commissimed mists. It certainly made the tube session, enticing all who listened and watched '$is stations exciting! involvement with children and with making books that are three-dimensional wonders. We is a teacher LONWN in Manchester, England, but travels throughout the After 11 years, London certainly seemed different-- world. cleaner, glistening, perky with a new pride. Tube The weather was glorious--and it was m1y one of stations were clean and whistling, train stations were those days you dream about--I cannot remember startlingly gorgeous--full of light, no darkness, no seeing so much sunsbe and roses in England! grime--places where one would want to eat, shop and wait wirh joy. London seemed to be wanting to join mewWyem Europe on equal tern and with finesse. It was Andrew Koyem of hen Press in San Francisco gave obvious there was a greater idlux of Afro-Casibbeans an overview of his book productions, which involved in London. Bookshops still abound on Charing Cross, collaboration with many famous artists including Jim yet books are more expensive. Used books, however, Dine, John Bddessari, Ida Applebroog, etc. And then abound and bookshops are indeed adventures. it rained--but I always have an umbrella, don't I? I If you travel to England, be sure to buy a phone spent a glorious time at the Pitt Rivers Museum, card which will expedite matters in phoning people where collections abound from a41 over the world-- from telephone booths. Special booths designated for from umbrellas to fans, papemking to boob, tools those who are equipped with BritTel phonecards or and tapestries, and so much more. T even found a other cards such as Mercury allow one to use the votive silver umbrella from Gonganuna shrine prepaid phone cards to make calls exclusively.