Reminder: BOOKISH Artist Talk at Melbourne Athenaeum Library

From the Melbourne Athenaeum Library’s latest newsletter, a gentle reminder of the talk Bronwyn Rees and I are presenting in conjunction with the artist book exhibition, BOOKISH:

ARTIST TALK, THIS WEDNESDAY 23 MARCH AT 6PM

To gain a deeper understanding of the art of artist book making, former artist-in-residence Deborah Klein and printmaker Bronwyn Rees will speak about the art form's rich history and their own practice on Wednesday 23rd March from 6pm. 

It's a free event, but RSVPs are required.  Phone the library on 9650 3100 or email library@melbourneathenaeum.org.au to book your seats.

Bronwyn and Deborah's talk, and the Bookish Exhibition are part of the 8th Melbourne Art Book Fair.  Bookish is an exhibition of contemporary artists' book by members of the Print Council of Australia and is being held in the library from 17 - 26 during normal opening hours.

BOOKISH:  March 17 - 26 in the library

Proudly presented by the Print Council of Australia 

and the Melbourne Athenaeum Incorporated

To illuminate our presentation, Bronwyn and I will bring along some examples of our own book art. In my case, this will include Progeny, 2018, the unique concertina book I made during my residency at the library for Melbourne Rare Book Week 2018 (pictured top).

My artist book, Leaves of Absence, 2017, launched at the library in 2017 and subsequently acquired for its permanent collection, will also be on display. I’m pictured below at the 2017 book launch with Marguerite Brown, Manager, Print Council of Australia, who officially launched the book. (Click on images to enlarge).

The talk will be followed by celebratory drinks. We look forward to seeing you this coming Wednesday evening, 6 - 8 pm. 

For further information about the BOOKISH talk and exhibition, scroll down to Blog Post Friday February 18. 

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

BETWEEN THE SHEETS 2019

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

I'm delighted to announce that for the third time running, my work will be part of the biennial artist book exhibition, BETWEEN THE SHEETS. This time round, Progeny (pictured top) and Firebrand, two of my one-of-a-kind artist books, have been selected.

BETWEEN THE SHEETS - Artists' Books Exhibition 2019 is presented by Gallery East in conjunction with Gallery Central (North Metropolitan TAFE) in Perth, Western Australia. 

PARTICIPATING ARTISTS

Australia

New South Wales: 

Lee Bethel; Caelli Jo Brooker; Lisa Giles; Avril Makula; Jane Simon; Yvette Sullivan; Marama Warren

Queensland: 

Dr. Rhi Johnson; Lorraine Lamothe; Sue Poggioli

South Australia:

Beth Evans

Victoria: 

Lyn Ashby; Alex Hamilton; Petr Herel; Debbie Hill; Deborah Klein; Lesley O'Gorman: Peter Ward

Western Australia: 

Gabriela Antonini; Susanna Castleden; Christopher Crouch;  Claire Davenhall; Martin Dickie; Robyn Foster; Shanti Gelmi; Louise Grimshaw; Chloe Henderson; Penny Hudson; Shana James;  Pam Langdon; Lesley Le Grove; Monica Lukowska; Elisa Markes-Young; Cherish Marrington; Jacky McFarlane; Clyde McGill; Shona McGregor; Melanie McKee; Dragicia Milunovic; Jánis Nedéla; Annette Nykiel; Marcella Polain; Layli Rakhsha; Sherry Paddon; Judy Rogers; Anne Shilo; Catherine Shultz;  Annette Seeman; Lydia Trethewey; Paul Uhlmann; Vanessa Wallace; Gera Woltjer

Brazil: 

Grupo Gralha Azul

Germany: 

Dorothea Fleiss

Italy: 

Virginia Milici

Latvia: 

Anda Munkevica

Lithunania: 

Kęstutis Vasiliūnas

United States of America: 

Cristina de Almeida

BETWEEN THE SHEETS – Artists' Books Exhibition 2019 

Gallery Central

Aberdeen Street

Perth WA 6000

The exhibition runs from 29 August – 21 September. 

Further details (including the possibility of touring to a second venue) will be provided nearer the time.

Looking back on 2018

As a former St. Kilda girl who grew up in the shadow of Luna Park, I've come to liken the passing years to roller coaster rides, in other words, a series of highs and lows. I'm happy to report that in 2018, the highs by far outweighed the lows.   

High on the list of personal highlights was my residency in June/July at Melbourne Athenaeum Library for Melbourne Rare Book Week (pictured top). The linocuts I made during the residency will be the basis for Frankenstein's Women, a forthcoming artist book.

During the residency I also made a unique artist book, Progeny, which later in the year was Highly Commended in the Biblio Art Prize at Blarney Books and Art in Port Fairy.  Biblio subsequently traveled to Tacit Galleries in Melbourne.

LEAVES OF ABSENCE, the artist book that was launched at the Melbourne Athenaeum Library in late 2017, was acquired by the library in 2018. The book was part of the group show PATTERNS OF COLLECTING/From the Bower at the Johnston Collection (see below) and was a finalist in the 2018 Libris Awards.

Early last year LEAVES OF ABSENCE was acquired for the permanent collection of the State Library of Victoria and towards the end of 2018, it was acquired by the National Gallery of Australia. The year couldn't have been more perfectly book-ended.

2018 was exceedingly busy, even for me. Every year I vow that this will never happen again, and every year it does - and then some. The constant travelling between Melbourne and Ballarat doesn't exactly help. With the aim to make more time for my own projects and myself in general, from now on, I'm saying "no" more often - and sticking to it. For example, for the first time in several years, Moth Woman Press has reluctantly decided not to participate in the annual Sticky Institute Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair, an event we very much enjoy. We're feeling sad about this - Moth Woman Press usually does particularly well there - but believe it's ultimately for the Greater Good. I do hope we can return next year. Meanwhile, a selection of MWP publications are currently available at the delightful Playing in the Attic.

The halfway mark for January has already passed. Currently, my primary aim is to further develop Back Stories, a series of paintings that is already well under way. These are thematically linked to the linocuts in Frankenstein's Women, for which I have to design a title page and finalise the text before printing begins in the second half of 2019.

A second artist book is also planned. I'll post updates on this and other projects as they unfold.

Wishing you all a fabulous 2019.

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.

Biblio Art Prize: Opening Night

Pictured above and below are some snaps of the lively opening of the 10th Annual Biblio Art Prize at Blarney Books and Art on Saturday, November 3. There are some remarkable works in the show, and we enjoyed chatting to several of the makers, including Carmel Wallace and Mel Kerr (seen directly below with her terrific Edgar Allan Poe-inspired work). Congratulations to Biblio Prize winner, Mandy Gunn. (Her work Pillars of Wisdom  is displayed on the table, centre, in the second photo below).

I have two works in the show, an archival pigment print inspired by Sylvia Plath’s The Bell Jar, (see top photo) and was Highly Commended for Progeny, my hand-drawn, stitched and lettered artist book inspired by Mary Shelley’s immortal Frankenstein, or, The Modern Prometheus. As someone who failed sewing in high school, I’m thrilled with the way Progeny is displayed. Strategically directed lighting causes the stitches/sutures, to cast short, sharp shadows, throwing the blood-red threads into low-relief.

For more about Progeny, visit Deborah Klein's Art Blog HERE.

Many thanks to Biblio judges Justine Hyde, Director, Library Services, State Library of Victoria, Vanessa Gerrans, Director, Warrnambool Art Gallery and the indefatigable Jo and Dean of Blarney Books and Art.

Click on images for a clearer view.

The Rare Book Week That Was

Melbourne Rare Book Week has ended, but not, I’m delighted to announce, my residency at Melbourne Athenaeum Library. I’ve been invited to extend my stay, so I’ll be in again this coming week. I know that all good things must end, but in this case, I’m happy it won’t be for a little while longer. Meanwhile, directly following are selected highlights from the fabulous week that was.

Throughout the week, work continued on Progeny, my artist book inspired by Mary Shelley's Frankenstein.

There was a great turnout to my artist talk on Wednesday evening, July 4 and I couldn’t have wished for a finer audience. Thanks to everyone who came and to inestimable Melbourne Athenaeum librarians Tom Coleman and James Baker for ensuring it all went without a hitch. 

Tom Coleman introducing my artist talk

Audience members browse my books and zines

Among the particularly steady stream of visitors on Friday, July 6 were distinguished personages Louise Jennison, Gracia Haby, Elaine Haby and Vicki Fowler, accompanied by second-time visitor Jill Kellett (not pictured), who took the photo of Vicki and I. Then, as the long, but especially memorable, day drew to a close, I was joined by Ewan and Heather Barker.

Louise Jennison, Gracia Haby and Elaine Haby

With Vicki Fowler (left). Photo credit: Jill Kellett 

Ewan and Heather Barker

Saturday, July 7, was the last official day of my term as Artist-in-Residence. It was literally a red-letter day, as the hand-lettered red text was added to Progeny, taking it another step closer to completion. The text still needs some tweaking before the final stage (aside from binding): hand-stitching selected areas of the image with matching red embroidery thread.