Recent acquisitions by the State Library of Queensland Part 1

 

2025 is certainly off to a fine start for Moth Woman Press. As I write, Firebrand, 2017, our one-of-a-kind concertina book, is en route to the State Library of Queensland. The library has just acquired it for their permanent collection, along with a selection of MWP zines. Details of the latter will follow in our next post. 

The following is a list of Moth Woman Press publications already held in the Library’s collection:

There was once…the collected fairy tales, 2009, stories and pictures by Deborah Klein. (See previous post).

2 copies of Women with wings, both from the Support Association for the Women of Afghanistan, 2010 project: 

Women with wings [1] Linocuts by Deborah Klein; text by Majabeen

Women with wings [2] Linocuts by Deborah Klein; text by Mahjan

Eve's apple, 2013, from the Tall Tales series of unique vertical concertina books

Card Sharps, 2013, zine, colour photocopy, 10.5 x 7.5 cm, ed. 100

Pictured top: Firebrand, 2017, unique artist book, pigmented drawing ink and acrylic paint on Khadi paper, cloth cover with debossed text, 15.5 x 16.5 cm (closed). Collection: State Library of Queensland, Brisbane, QLD.

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.

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.

A visit to APW with Sue Verney

Last Thursday Shane Jones and I took our friend Sue Verney to the Australian Print Workshop Gallery to see the APW George Collie Memorial Print Award Exhibition, which includes several of my linocuts. 

Sue, who was visiting from London, is one of my oldest friends. She has been enormously supportive of my artistic endeavours since I shared a flat with her in Holland Park, London, way back in the 1970s. That’s Sue and I outside the APW directly above and she can also be seen scrutinising MWP zines and books in the front window of the APW in the following photo.

 

Numerous Moth Woman Press publications are also on view inside the gallery and many are available for purchase. 

The displays have been slightly rearranged since our last post, but are equally elegant.

APW Gallery hours: Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm.

The APW George Collie Memorial Print Award Exhibition continues to 1 October.

Moth Woman Press at the APW 2020-2022 George Collie Memorial Award

 

Pictured above and below are some highlights from last Saturday’s 2020-22 APW George Collie Award Exhibition + Presentation at The Australian Print Workshop. My heartfelt thanks to APW Artistic Director and CEO, Anne Virgo (pictured below, right) for her support and encouragement over the past two years. 

It was Anne’s idea to include Moth Woman Press books and zines in the exhibition. A selection of these are displayed in the APW’s front window and the remainder are on display in the gallery space. Click on images for enlarged views.

For additional snapshots of the opening event, visit Deborah Klein’s Art Blog HERE.

The exhibition is current to October 1.

A Gentle Reminder

Opening Saturday: 

APW George Collie Memorial Award Exhibition + Presentation 

2020 - 2022 APW George Collie Memorial Award Recipients:

Barbara Hanrahan / Deborah Klein / Hertha Kluge-Pott / Ann Newmarch OAM

Exhibition Opening and Award Presentation 

2 - 4 pm Saturday 6 August

Australian Print Workshop Gallery

A selection of Moth Woman Press publications, including our new zines, Rückenfigur, The turned figure, Volumes 1-3, will be included in the exhibition.

I do hope you’ll join us.

Pictured top, right: I Wished on the Moon, 2022, hand-coloured linocut, 34.5 x 26.8 cm, edition: 20. Printed by Simon White at the Australian Print Workshop, Melbourne. 

BOOKISH Artist Talk at Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Pictured above and below are selected highlights from the artist talk Bronwyn Rees and I gave on Wednesday evening, March 23, in celebration of all things BOOKISH, the Print Council of Australia artist book exhibition at Melbourne Athenaeum Library. Additional photographs are on my Art Blog HERE.

Thanks a million to the library for having us and to each and everyone who came to the talk, including the numerous BOOKISH artists who attended. 

BOOKISH concluded its run on Saturday March 26. In her opening address, the library’s General Manager Sue Westwood (pictured right in the first and last photos above) said she hoped this would be the first of other collaborations with the Print Council of Australia. I certainly echo those sentiments.

BOOKISH Exhibition and Artist Talk

From March 17, Melbourne Athenaeum Library will play host to Bookish, an extensive exhibition of contemporary artist books by members of the Print Council of Australia. Among them are my one-of-a-kind book, Cat’s Cradle. 

The library’s collaboration with the Print Council of Australia is part of the 8th Melbourne Art Book Fair at the National Gallery of Victoria. 

From the Melbourne Athenaeum Library website:

As part of Bookish, the library will also host an artist talk with former artist-in-residence Deborah Klein, and printmaker Bronwyn Rees. Deborah and Bronwyn will speak about the art of making artist books on Wednesday 23rd March at 6pm. The event is FREE but RSVPs are required on 96503100 or 

library@melbourneathenaeum.org.au.

The exhibition is open from March 17 - 19 and March 22 - 26 during the library's 

opening hours. 

Melbourne Athenaeum Library 

Level 1

188 Collins Street

Melbourne, Victoria 3000

Australia

Pictured top: Deborah Klein, front and back covers of Cat’s Cradle, 2019, hand-painted and lettered in acrylic on MDF. 

Pictured second: Artist book on PCA invitation: Bridget Hillebrand, Ascent ll, 2020 (detail).

Click on images for enlarged views. 

Last days of BETWEEN THE SHEETS

Progeny, 2018, one-of-a-kind artist book; pigmented drawing ink,
gouache and hand stitching with cloth binding, 16.5 x 91 cm (open)

If you happen to be in Perth, WA, you have until next Saturday, 21 September, to see BETWEEN THE SHEETS 2019 before it ends its run. In this exhibition, 70 works by 59 artists from 7 countries challenge notions of the traditional book. Makers include printmakers, photographers, architects, wordsmiths, textile artists, painters, sculptors, digital artists, and a glass artist.

Two of my artist books are included in the show, both of them one-of-a-kind: Progeny, 2018 (pictured top) and Firebrand, 2017.

In this extract from the catalogue essay, Paul Uhlmann, Senior Lecturer at Edith Cowan University describes ‘... the endless list of classifications; altered books; the book as unopenable object; livre de peintre (the beautiful painter’s book); the book as performance; the book as skin and body; the book as memory object; the book as archive; the book as concept and many more. Since my initial encounter, artists’ books have grown exponentially and become an international phenomenon; many attempts have been made to define the characteristics of an artist’s book; to tame it, to give it shape but an artist’s book – a book made by an artist – will defy classification, just as all artists strive to develop their own unique voice.’

To view individual works, accompanied by statements from the artists, go HERE.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS: ARTISTS BOOKS EXHIBITION 2019
Gallery Central,
12 Aberdeen Street,
Perth WA
Hours: 10 am - 4.45 pm weekdays
11 am- 4 pm Saturday
The exhibition runs until Saturday 21 September 2019

Firebrand in BETWEEN THE SHEETS 2019

Firebrand, 2017, one-of-a-kind artist book, pigmented drawing ink

and gouache with cloth binding, 16.5 x 91 cm (open)

Photo credit: Tim Gresham

Firebrand, 2017, is one of two of my artist books to be selected for BETWEEN THE SHEETS – ARTISTS’ BOOK EXHIBITION 2019. (The other is Progeny, 2018). 

Pictured below: detailed views of Firebrand, followed by silhouetted back views of both books in the studio of photographer, Tim Gresham.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS 2019 

Gallery Central

Aberdeen Street

Perth WA 6000

The show runs from 29 August - 21 September.

For further information, go HERE.