A Page in a New Publication

1000 Artists Books Cover

Alphabet Ancestors was accepted to be one of 1,000 images of bookish goodness in Quayside Publishing’s new 1,000 Artists’ Books, published this summer. I speculated that my book art was chosen because of the unusual wrapper closure (a rock with two holes acting as a button), but instead, one of my favorite interior page spreads is shown, along with another peek inside. I like very much that my photo travels off the page. It conveys how this book continually unfolds until the entire interior can be seen.

1000 Artists Books Alphabet Ancestors Page

My book is actually a set of three small books illustrated with early symbols and proto-lettering from Old Europe, images of natural phenomena such as moon or lightning, and a printed essay in a fourth book. I’m pleased to be included with such a varied and exciting group of artists, especially with pages meant to evoke a time before books and writing, when marks were made on cave walls with charcoal-blackened sticks.

1000 Artists Books Contents Pages

Some have not liked the choice to put the pertinent information about each book in a separate section at the back. I believe it may have left more room for the pictures, and for a reader like me, it is kind of a relief to have only the images, with the artist’s name, in chapters according to binding style. I have a bad habit in museums and gallery books of reading the description before looking at the work, a habit of my literature background, so a book like this stimulates my visual sense. Above is a view of the table of contents. There are technically 1,000 images in the book (I have two numbers assigned to the two photos of my contribution). 1,000 Artists’ Books is a rich trove of inspiration and bookmaking virtuosity.

{ 4 comments… add one }
  • Ellin Barret 09/07/2012, 12:04 pm

    Cari, congratulations on this entry, and also on the loveliness of the sample shown… !

  • Michele 09/09/2012, 7:44 pm

    What a luscious book! I like the moving of info to the back. Being a primarily verbal rather than visual person, I get distracted by text (…must…read…everything…now…), so this is a nice way to remove any temptation and allow the images to speak for themselves. Must hunt up a copy of this.

  • Conni R 10/01/2012, 7:05 am

    Congratulations–your wonderful work deserved to be included. Also thanks for sharing your paste paper process in the previous entry. Hope to see you at the Book Arts Jam

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