Last year I was asked if I’d like to participate in a handmade artists’ book exhibit. It was going to be one of the last exhibitions at a gallery (Roswell Space) I have close ties with and I wanted to participate while I still could. For this project I’m using imagery from a new series Impressions of the California Southland, which starts with large pigment prints overlaid with pastels and colored pencils. This first “chapter” will contain ten small reproductions of the originals.
Drawing inspiration from Katsushika Hokusai’s 100 Views of Mt. Fuji, my project captures a quieter side of Southern California, away from the usual glamour and fame. It focuses on the simplicity of daily life, revealing moments of stillness that offer a deeper connection to the place. These moments are quiet slices of mundane life that allow the viewer to connect to this place in a layered way. I’m also incorporating pages from the iconic Thomas Guide, a series of spiral-bound paper atlases that could be found for decades in almost every SoCal glove box. The project will eventually have a total of 100 Impressions.
When it came to exploring the book-making aspect of the project I started by going to Hiromi Paper which has an extensive selection of Japanese papers and bookmaking tools. I finished with three versions of my project: a folio with prints, an accordion book and the last is a more traditional book with drum leaf binding. The Opening Reception for the show is this coming weekend (Sept 8th) - see below for more details.
Handmade Book Resources:
Coptic Stitch Binding: this was an early trial run - and I hated it. Big problem here is my lovely thick digital fine art paper just doesn’t do a fold (which is why I later switched to Japanese paper), plus there’s an awkward gap between the folded sheets when you page through the book. I do love the look of the woven binding on the spine and how the pages lie completely flat. Here’s a great “how to” video by Sea Lemon.
Accordion Books are one of my favorites and I used this method a few years ago to create The Five Elements, from the Buddhist concept of the Five Sovereign Elements that make up our existence. How to Make Books by Esther K Smith of Purgatory Pie Press takes you though a great range of experimental approaches to one-of-a-kind books.
Book Building by Dayanita Singh is a great one to read before you start your project. This thoughtful manifesto was a good way for me to start thinking about how I wanted to approach the content / layout. For more from her, here’s an interview with her and her publisher.
Opening Reception, Portfolio Reviews and Workshop:
Correspondences / Corripondenze, An International Exhibition of Artists’ Books. Featuring artists from Italy and the Greater Los Angeles Area. Roswell Space, 3050 Roswell Street, Los Angeles, September 8th - October 6th.
Opening Reception: Sunday, September 8th from 3 to 6 pm
Exposure Portfolio Reviews, Los Angeles Center of Photography. I’ll be a reviewer for this online event which offers artists and creatives an online platform to showcase their portfolios and receive expert feedback from renowned, international professionals. Reviews run from September 11th - 15th.
My Reviewing days, Thur. Sept. 12th – AM, Sun. Sept. 15th – AM
Lightroom Book Module Workshop: creating family yearbooks, magazine and portfolio catalogs. This in-person workshop will be held at Viewpoint Photographic Art Center, 2015 J. Street, Suite 101, Sacramento, CA, 95811-3124
September 29, 2024, 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM