Selected highlights from CAM Art Book Fair

Scenes from the second and final day of CAM Art Book Fair at Castlemaine Art Museum beginning with the panel conversation Self-Publishing Artists Reaching Across and Beyond the Region. It was terrific chatting with Castlemaine Art Museum Director Naomi Cass and fellow panelists Clayton Tremlett and Lorena Carrington. 

There was a wonderful range of book art on view. For Shane Jones and I it was an added treat to catch up with book artists Gracia Haby, Dianne Longley, Jan Palethorpe, Jackie Gorring, Catherine Pilgrim, Penny Peckham and Jeff Gardner.

CAM Art Book Fair ran from June 1-2 and was held in conjunction with NGV Art Book Fair.

CAM Art Book Fair: Self-Publishing Artists

 

The CAM Art Book Fair returns in June 2024, in conjunction with NGV Melbourne Art Book Fair. 

The Melbourne Art Book Fair is part of Melbourne Design Week 2024, an initiative of the Victorian Government in collaboration with the NGV.  

On Sunday, 2 June, I’ve been invited participate in the panel discussion Self-Publishing Artists Reaching Across and Beyond the Region at Castlemaine Art Museum .

Links to all Art Book Fair events are below:

NGV: https://www.artbookfair.melbourne/events/panel-conversation-self-publishing-artists-reaching-across-and-beyond-the-region/ 

CAM: https://castlemaineartmuseum.org.au/news

 

Castlemaine Art Museum 

14 Lyttleton Street (PO Box 248)
Castlemaine VIC 3450
03 5472 2292
castlemaineartmuseum.org.au

 

Sunday 2 June, 10 – 11 am

 

A visit to Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Yesterday’s day trip to Melbourne included a visit to Melbourne Athenaeum Library to stock up on books. Seeing Leaves of Absence, my unbound artist book, on display brought back a slew of happy memories of my stint there in 2018 as artist-in-residence for Melbourne Rare Book Week. 

The library was the first institution to acquire Leaves of Absence for its permanent collection, of which I’m still extremely proud, and they hosted the launch of the book in 2017. 

Melbourne Athenaeum Library is a refuge in the chaotic centre of a city I hardly recognise anymore. I’ve kept up my membership, but having moved to a regional city, I seldom have time to call in. This is something I’ve vowed to rectify. Until yesterday, I hadn’t realised just how much I’ve missed it.

Apologies for the reflections and distortions from the bevelled glass.

Christmas Eve at Moth Woman Press

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas and a very Happy New Year. 

I’m looking forward to sharing more things bookish with you in 2024. At present, however, my prints, artist books and zines are taking a back seat to painting as I resume work for a solo show at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, Melbourne, that’s booked in for the latter half of next year. All going well, some linocuts (including the work on the press bed above) and an artist book will be part of it too. 

Enjoy the Festive Season, everyone. See you in 2024!

Image on e-card: Deborah Klein, The Heavens Declare 1, 2022, linocut, 20 x 15 cm.

A gentle reminder…

 

ARTIST BOOKS & FOLIOS

Deborah Klein Elizabeth Banfield and Theo Strasser

Opening Event: 2 -4 pm Saturday September 23 

Stephen McLaughlan Gallery (South Gallery)

Level 8 Room 16 The Nicholas Building 

37 Swanston Street Melbourne 3000 (on the corner of Flinders Lane)

Telephone: 0407 317 323

Email: st73599@bigpond.net.au

Gallery Hours:

Wednesday to Friday 1 pm- 5 pm, Saturday 11 am -5 pm & by appointment

I do hope you can drop by on Saturday afternoon, or before the exhibition finishes its run on October 7.  

I’m currently in London, but will be there in spirit with fellow book artists Theo Strasser and Elizabeth Banfield. Many thanks to exhibition curator Stephen McLaughlan for inviting me to be part of this show and for its impeccable display. 

Photo credit for the following views: Stephen McLaughlan. Click on images to enlarge.

MWP Zines in Artist Books & Folios

As promised, here is an overview of the MWP zines included in the upcoming exhibition Artist Books & Folios at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery. Click on images to enlarge.

The Republic of Mothstralia Stamps - Socialist Butterfly Party zine (pictured below) is the second of two zines made especially for the exhibition. (The other is Roundels, top right above). To get the skinny on the Socialist Butterfly Party, visit Deborah Klein’s Art Blog HERE.

Only 10 copies of each zine will be available during the run of the exhibition, so (as they used to say in the ads), get in fast while stocks last. I do plan on replenishing numbers, but won’t have time until my return from London in the latter part of October. I’m sad to be missing the entire exhibition, but very excited to see my friends in the UK and sampling the plethora of cultural treats that will be on offer while I’m there. 

I do hope you can visit Artist Books & Folios, even though I can’t. Please find your invitation below. 

PREVIEW: MWP books in ARTIST BOOKS & FOLIOS

For the inside scoop on the Moth Woman Press books selected for Artist Books & Folios at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery, look no further than this post.

The exhibition, which also includes artist books by Elizabeth Banfield and Theo Strasser, opens on September 20. Full details are HERE. 

Pictured above: Progeny, 2018, unique concertina book, hand-lettered and drawn in India ink, pigmented drawing inks and gouache with hand-stitching. Cloth cover with debossed text. To learn more about Progeny, visit my art blog HERE.

Pictured above: Firebrand, 2017, unique concertina book, hand-lettered and drawn in India ink and pigmented drawing inks. Cloth cover with debossed text. For more about this work, go HERE.

Pictured above: Women with Wings, 2010, concertina book, linocuts, rubber stamps. For additional information, go HERE.

Pictured above: Homo-insecta Portfolio, 2013, unbound artist book with selected page views. Hand-coloured linocuts with inkjet-printed text. For more about this work, click HERE.

Pictured above: Leaves of Absence, 2017, unbound artist book with selected page views. Archival pigment prints, cloth cover with debossing, Ed. 10. Further information is HERE.

Click on the above images to enlarge.

The limited-edition MWP zines included in Artist Books & Folios will feature in our next post.

The Yellow Butterflies - New revised edition

 

Artist Books and Folios, the fast approaching exhibition at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery has come up at relatively short notice. If not for this and my impending overseas trip, I would doubtless have made a new book for the occasion. Instead, I’ve made a couple of new zines (one of which was featured in our last post) and have given the eight-page zine, The Yellow Butterflies, which MWP first published several years ago, a thorough makeover. I was never completely happy with the original version and recently spent a considerable amount of time redesigning the zine in order to make it more pictorial. At that stage, I wasn’t aware that an artist book show was on the horizon, so my timing was perfect. The basis for the zine is a fairytale I wrote back in 2013. I’m much happier with the new-look zine, which is a signed and numbered limited edition of 80. 

 

ROUNDELS - a new zine

We are delighted that the upcoming three-person show Artist Books & Folios at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery will also include a selection of Moth Woman Press zines, including Roundels, which we’ve made especially for the exhibition. The mini-zine is limited to an edition of 80 and, like all of our zines in the exhibition, will retail for $5.00.

Artist Books & Folios opens on September 20 and runs to October 7.

Selecting works for ARTIST BOOKS & FOLIOS

On the work table earlier today: a selection of artist books under consideration for inclusion in

ARTIST BOOKS & FOLIOS

Deborah Klein, Elizabeth Banfield and Theo Strasser

South Gallery, Stephen McLaughlan Gallery.  

The exhibition runs from September 20 - October 7.

See our previous post for additional information. 

Click on image to enlarge.

Coming soon: ARTIST BOOKS & PORTFOLIOS

SAVE THE DATE

I’m very much looking forward to exhibiting with renowned book artists Elizabeth Banfield and Theo Strasser in Artist Books & Folios at Stephen McLaughlan Gallery in September. Further details will follow shortly.

Excited as I am to be part of this show, my attendance will be merely in spirit, alas, as I will be in London for its entire duration. 

Image on invitation: Homo Insecta Portfolio,  2013, unbound artist book, hand-coloured linocuts, inkjet-printed text, 29.5 x 21 cm. 

Click on invitation for an enlarged view.

Second Pop-up Zine Market at FEAR

FEAR (Femxle Experience Art Rebellion) will be holding its second zine market this coming Saturday, August 5.

FEAR is a vibrant art gallery, studio, workshop and retail space situated in the heart of Ballarat. 

FEAR is currently the sole Ballarat stockist for Moth Woman Press zines. In anticipation of the upcoming zine market, we have just dropped in some fresh supplies.*

FEAR Zine Market will take place on Saturday 5 August from 10 am - 2 pm. 

FEAR’s Instagram Page is HERE. 

Femxle Experience Art Rebellion

57 Bridge Mall

Ballarat, Victoria 3350

HOURS

Wednesday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

*Click on image for an enlarged view.

World of the Book 2023

Four pages from Leaves of Absence, our unbound artist book, have been included in the extraordinary new World of the Book exhibition in the Dome Galleries, Level 4, State Library of Victoria. 

World of the Book 2023 opened on 1 April 2023 and is current to 12 May 2024.

Pictured top: Memory 1, 16, 14 and 9 from Leaves of Absence, 2017, unbound artist book. Collection: State Library of Victoria. Click on images to enlarge. 

Moth Woman Press at FEAR

As of today, a selection of Moth Woman Press zines and books are available at Femxle Experience Art Rebellion in Bridge Mall, Ballarat Central. They are shown here with FEAR’s talented and versatile co-founder, multidisciplinary artist, Holly Would, who also made the fine display stand. 

Individual titles are pictured below.

Femxle Experience Art Rebellion
57 Bridge Mall
Ballarat, Victoria 3350

HOURS
Wednesday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Thursday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Friday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm
Saturday 10:00 am - 4:00 pm

FEAR Zine Market

Scroll down to see selected highlights of the inaugural FEAR Zine Market at Femxle Experience Art Rebellion on Saturday, 1 April. 

Pictured above, second and third from top: the Moth Woman Press stand and directly below: the view from our table.

There was a steady stream of visitors from the moment the doors were opened and we met some lovely people.

.

A high point of the day was meeting fellow zinester Charli Timms-McLean (pictured left above and below). I look forward to seeing him at the next FEAR Zine Market and acquiring more of his fantastic zines!

Warmest thanks to those who purchased our wares and to the terrific team at FEAR for instigating the first FEAR Zine Market and inviting us to participate.

Charli maintains it was one of the best days of the year so far, and I’m inclined to agree!

Click on individual images to enlarge.