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. 

Biblio at Tacit

For the first time in its ten-year history, Port Fairy-based Blarney Books and Art's Biblio Art Prize has traveled further afield. On Wednesday, December 5 the exhibition was launched at its second and final venue, Tacit Galleries in Melbourne.

The following photos were taken at Tacit Galleries on Opening Night.

At Tacit Galleries with one of my two Biblio entries,
 Bell Jar, 2018, archival pigment print, 42.5 x 32 cm.
The work was inspired by Sylvia Plath's novel
The Bell Jar. (Photo credit: Shane Jones)

 Progeny, 2018, unique artist book. Pigmented drawing ink, gouache and 
hand stitching with cloth binding, 16.5 x 91 cm (open). 
Installation view at Tacit Galleries, Melbourne

The exhibition runs until Sunday, 16 December.

The National Gallery of Australia acquires LEAVES OF ABSENCE

With the gradual winding down of 2018 comes some happy news. Our artist book LEAVES OF ABSENCE has been acquired by the National Gallery of Australia.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE poses a question that may be unanswerable: what became of the women who remained in China when their menfolk came to seek their fortunes during the Australian gold rushes? 

Pictured above and below: cover and selected pages from LEAVES OF ABSENCE, 2017, unbound artist book, 32.5 (H) x 25.5 (W) x 4 cm (D). Edition: 10 plus 1 artist proof. Printed by Luke Ingram at Arten.

Fallen Women at Melbourne Athenaeum Library

Back in March a handful of preview copies of MWP's latest book Fallen Women were featured on the Regional Arts Australia stand at the National Gallery of Victoria's annual Art Book Fair.

Fallen Women contains much of the leaf art that was created following the publication of my artist book Leaves of Absence. Like its predecessor, the book focuses on the virtual absence of Chinese Women during the Australian Gold Rush era. It is prefaced by a short fairy tale.

I'll be discussing these and other Moth Woman Press publications in an informal artist talk at Melbourne Athenaeum Library on Wednesday evening, July 4 from 6 - 7 pm. The event is part of Melbourne Rare Book Week. Attendance is free, but due to space restrictions, bookings are essential. For more about the talk, go HERE.

Wednesday, July 4, 6 - 7 pm
MULTIDISCIPLINARY ART MAKING
Speaker: Deborah Klein
Presented by Melbourne Athenaeum Library
Level 1
188 Collins Street
Melbourne 3000
Phone (03) 9650 3100
Or book online HERE.

For those who can't attend (but do come along if you possibly can) here is Fallen Women, page by page. Click on individual images for a clearer view.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE leaf by leaf

For the benefit of those in faraway places who can't make it to the launch of LEAVES OF ABSENCE on Friday 24 November at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library (see previous post) here is a preview.

Pictured above and below: LEAVES OF ABSENCE, 2017, artist book, 32 pages in cloth case, 32.5 H x 25.5 W x 4 D. Edition: 10 plus one artist proof. 

Click on individual images for a clearer view.