You may have noticed that posts to this blog have gotten fewer and farther between since closing the retail side of the gallery. These posts take a huge amount of time to write and post and frankly, Facebook is a much easier platform to keep updated. Therefore, I’ve decided to stop posting new articles to this blog—mostly. Unless something big comes up, you can find me posting news from the world of book and paper arts on the gallery Facebook page. The ease of postings allows me to post more frequently, which allows me more time in my own studio, which is very exciting.

Click here to find the 23 Sandy Facebook page. You do not need to be a Facebook member to see the gallery page as commercial “pages” are visible to anyone.

Don’t forget…you can still shop for artist books and see past exhibitions here on the gallery web site.

You can also still find popular posts about topics like Safe Shipping Strategies for Artists, Photographing Your Artist Books, Book Arts Resources and more by clicking on the links at top right sidebar on this page.

See you there,

Laura

P.S. I almost never post on my personal Facebook account, in fact I rarely look at my news feed. If you want to be my friend, the gallery page is the only place you will find me.

What We Carried © Jim Lommasson

This project started out as an artist book. You may recall What We Carried, by Jim Lommasson, an artist book from our Book Power Redux exhibition show back in 2014.

Well, that book morphed into an important  body of work that has spread far and wide to critical acclaim. The remarkably heartfelt and powerful What We Carried exhibition opens next month at the immigration museum on Ellis Island. I think this body of work has a big impact in the immigration/refugee debate we are currently facing in this country. When you see these images and read the stories, you can’t help but be deeply affected.

Jim now has a GoFundMe campaign going to raise funds to pay the expenses of this important exhibition. Please help him reach his goal by donating here.

Thank you!

Poppy Dully is a Portland-based artist of many talents. She is a printmaker, painter and more, and if you ever have a chance to see her studio during Portland Open Studios (held each year in October) be sure to stop by. She’s a gracious host, lovely soul and all around smart artist.

Becket by Poppy Dully

Poppy’s books involve a unique confluence of literature and cinema. She uses pages from vintage or classic books, rebound on an accordion structure, which are then attached inside the original vintage book covers and dust jackets. The pages are original monotype prints that illustrate key scenes from the movie or stage version of the book. Sometime she is able to find two copies of the same book and then uses the “ghosts” of her monoprints, still rich with dark inks, which results in a variable edition of two copies. Such a brilliant concept! See Poppy’s books here.

Surrealism in America by Lynn Skordal

Lynn Skordal has a way of creating artist books with collage that are smart, intelligent, dreamy, curious, creative and not to mention superbly technically perfect. Her unique artist books are a joy to show off to both book arts fans and those new to the medium. Her collaged pages draw viewers deep into the images first, and then once they are drawn in, I point out that they are created with painstaking old-fashioned scissors and glue. Lynn’s perfection always draws admiration. Not a rough cut or goober a glue can be found anywhere and her incorporation of vintage books, papers and other found objects create further dimension. In addition, Lynn’s subject matter are always smart and thought-provoking. Not one for fluffy, pretty collages, she tackles topics ranging from feminism to Hitler to art history, to science and more. See Lynn’s books here.

Happy browsing!

Laura

Take Me, I’m Yours Thank You Book #6

Thank You Book #6 was created as a keepsake for the College Book Arts Association meeting in Tucson, Arizona, January 4-5, 2019. I have been a member of the CBAA since it’s founding, and admire the mission to “support and promote academic book arts education by fostering the development of its practice, teaching, scholarship and criticism.”

I was particularly excited about this conference as it had a focus on Photo Books, and was organized by the dynamic duo of Karen and Phil Zimmermann. A top-rate lineup of speakers, tours and events left this photo book artist super inspired, technically and conceptually.

Thank You Books are a series of books celebrating the first 10 years of 23 Sandy Gallery and the plan is to create 10 over the next year or so. All free, open-edition books, perhaps one-sheet wonders, perhaps not. But, all aimed at thanking the oh so many friends, artists, librarians, visitors and supporters of the gallery.

Take Me, I’m Yours

Take Me, I’m Yours serves double duty—not only is it a DIY thank you book, it is also a promotional piece for my new book of the same title, which you can find here. (The first new editioned book of my sabbatical!)

Take Me, I’m Yours Thank You Book #6

Download a free PDF of this Thank You Book by clicking here or on the thumbnail at right. The PDF is 11 x 17, but you can reduce to fit on letter-size paper for a smaller book. For best results, print on 11 x 17 inch paper then follow the step-by-step instructions to cut out and fold into the hidden book structure shown above. I printed mine at FedEx on a text weight stock for about a buck and they look great.

For anyone interested in collecting all of the books in this series, click here to download PDFs of all the previous Thank You books. Plus, watch this blog for future releases.

Happy folding,

Laura

Angst by Mar Goman

Arecently arrived batch of new books from the ever-awesome Mar Goman has me all jazzed up. Many of you will remember Mar from her two solo shows at 23 Sandy Gallery. Artist books are just a small segment of her prolific artistic output. Each batch of books that comes my way find homes very quickly. Mar’s work is always lush with fabric, sewing, embroidery, buttons, found rusty bits and almost always include her own self-portrait. Check out two of her new and available books here.

New work from Mar got me thinking about the upcoming call for entries for All Stitched Up, a juried exhibition at University of Puget Sound “asking for submissions of artists’ books from around the globe where stitching is a featured element.” You can find the call for endtries for All Stitched Up here.

That got me thinking about Uncommon Threads, one of my very favorite exhibitions in the gallery way back in 2011. Sadly, the online exhibition catalog is no more for that show, but I do have several related books currently in inventory. Click here to find inspiration in this new Uncommon Threads Curated Collection of artist books using techniques such as stitching, sewing, embroidery, buttons, beads, textiles and more from current inventory.

Enjoy,

Laura

The Truth Remains 2.0 by Marian Crane

Marian Crane recently sent three new works. Her stitched, embroidered and beaded artist books has always been popular with fans of “Uncommon Threads.”

Marian tells us about The Truth Remains 2.0:

On a striped white linen background, over sixty layered sewn collages of found and commercial fabric, digitally printed images, text, glass beads, hand-inked text, embroidered text, and carved bone and pewter charms weave a text about the National Rifle Association’s disturbing links with white supremacist groups, foreign governments, and Christian theocratic factions within and without the United States of America.

“Ignore the Truth. Forget the Name. Rewrite the History. Erase the Word. Silence the Voice. Destroy the Haven. Pass the Blame. The Truth Remains.”

The central text is embroidered in red thread atop heavily altered fabric-printed maps of school shooting locations, NRA headquarters, Washington DC, and Mar-a-Lago…   Continue reading about The Truth Remains 2.0 here.

See all three of Marian’s new books in inventory here.

Enjoy,

Laura

Click here to watch a video of this book in action.

Barbara Ciureg and Lindsay Lochman have been collaborating on photography and publishing project since they met in art school in the 1970’s. 23 Sandy is very pleased to present three of their powerful projects in gallery inventory.

The first and most thrilling: Pliant History 

Pliant History by Lindsay Lochman and Barbara Ciurej

From the artist statement: To expand the current discourse of power, Ciurej and Lochman requested women to “assume the pose” of Michelangelo’s imposing figures of authority – the prophets and sibyls from the Sistine Chapel ceiling. The presence of these seers and storytellers symbolically validated prevailing institutional power. Stripped of thrones, books, and robes, their contemporary counterparts confront history and embody another type of knowledge.

Printed on translucent vellum, images from the past overlay the present, creating moments of hybridity and fusion. Together, the figures transcend the binaries of male/female, past/present, strength/weakness, intellect/emotion. The structure of Pliant History allows the viewer to literally turn the page on the past, suggesting other narratives and possibilities.

The images are interwoven with excerpts from Ovid’s Metamorphoses, underscoring the inevitability of change.”

Watch a video of Pliant History here.

Click here to see all three books by this dynamic duo, including Twitter FEED (shown at left) and Processed Views.

Enjoy,

Laura

Hedi has been a huge inspiration since I first discovered book arts 21 years ago. You may remember how much I gushed when she visited Portland for the Hello Hedi exhibition we held at 23 Sandy Gallery in 2015—probably the best show we ever did. In fact, we still receive orders for books from the show.

You can still find the full online catalog of Hello Hedi here.

Thank You Books are a series of books celebrating the first 10 years of 23 Sandy Gallery and the plan is to create 10 over the next year or so. All free, open-edition books, perhaps one-sheet wonders, perhaps not. But, all aimed at thanking the oh so many friends, artists, librarians, visitors and supporters of the gallery.

Download a free PDF of the Hedi’s Thank You Book by clicking here or on the thumbnail at left. For best results, print on 11 x 17 inch paper then follow the step-by-step instructions to cut out and fold into the Interlocking Loops book shown above. I printed mine at Staples on 67# text weight stock for less than a buck and they look great. You could also reduce to fit on letter-size paper for an even smaller book.

For anyone interested in collecting all of the books in this series, click here to download PDFs of all four previous Thank You books. Plus, watch this blog for future releases.

Happy folding,

Laura

Traci Timmons, head librarian at the Seattle Art Museum recently wrote an article on the SAM blog about Erin’s work. Erin is a very talented book artist whose unique and limited edition artist books are always thoughtful, engaging, smart, layered, nuanced, superbly concepted and perfectly crafted. You may have met Erin if you ever visited 23 Sandy Gallery on a Saturday. For four years, she was an invaluable part of the gallery operation. She charmed customers, curated exhibitions, ran our web site, helped install shows and so, so, so much more. She was a super help and vital to me staying sane during those crazy days. I will always appreciate her help and friendship.

Check out this stellar blog article on the SAM web site:

“Recently, the Dorothy Stimson Bullitt Library acquired two works by book artist, designer, and member of the Oneida Nation Erin Mickelson. Mickelson’s work is often about language, particularly translation. Sometimes her work is as straightforward as a translation from one language to another, but often she attempts to translate an idea between seemingly disparate forms—language, image, code, and movement….    

Continue reading the SAM blog here.

You can also see more of Erin’s work here.

Congratulations, Erin!

The 23 Sandy Exhibition Archive

Over the first 10 exhilarating years of 23 Sandy Gallery, we organized 20 international, juried book art exhibitions. These shows featured unique and limited-edition artist books, broadsides, letterpress printing, calligraphy and more—really, any form of book and paper art. Each in-depth, themed exhibition presented 50 to 75 works by up to 60 artists from across the United States and from as far away as Japan, Germany, England, Argentina, Australia and all points in between. Most of the shows were juried by respected librarians and curators who always brought rigorous, thoughtful, intelligent consideration to their selection of works to include in the exhibition.

In what came to be an integral part of these exhibitions, we published full-color printed catalogs for 16 of those 20 shows. We saw these catalogs as an important way to document the art, the artists, the juror’s thoughts and more—all preserved in print for the inspiration of future book artists and researchers. Libraries across the country purchased catalogs and it was always gratifying to hear of these catalogs being cataloged in their permanent collections.

The 23 Sandy Exhibition Archive

The 23 Sandy Gallery Exhibition Archive 2007-2017 is a boxed set of all 16 juried book art exhibition print catalogs presented in a custom acrylic box. The set also includes a four-panel brochure listing all 93 exhibitions presented in the gallery over those first 10 amazing years.

Click here to order your copy of the archive.

In addition to all those juried book art shows, 23 Sandy proudly presented solo exhibitions and small group shows for local, national and international artists ranging from book artists to photographers, designers, sculptors and even a rousing group show of altered world globes. The juried exhibitions were huge endeavors, taking several months to produce. They could not have happened without the art and artists—but also the help of many, many supporters, volunteers, interns, gallery visitors and librarians who helped make it all possible. Thankfully, there was also one supportive husband who proofread every catalog. Thank you to everyone who helped make these exhibitions a dream and a reality.

The 23 Sandy Exhibition Archive

Online, you can click here to see a one-page timeline off all 93 (yes, 93!) exhibitions on the 23 Sandy Gallery web site.

Or, click here to find the most recent 21 exhibitions with full online catalogs with multiple photos of each work of art. We hope to preserve this online documentation for many years to come.

Click here to order your copy of the 16 catalog boxed archive.

Happy reminiscing,

Laura

The tunnel book pages spell out Sandra’s own words to live by, “Inspiration. Commitment. Transformation.” She has sincerely inspired, shown a deep commitment to, and transformed the lives of countless book artists over the years. Through her work we all have learned to think deeper about our work and our lives—and we are better in so many ways thanks to her dedication.

Thank You Books are a series of books celebrating the first 10 years of 23 Sandy and the plan is to create 10 over the next year or so. All will be free, open-edition books, perhaps one-sheet wonders, perhaps not. But, all aimed at thanking the oh so many friends, artists, librarians, visitors and supporters of the gallery.

You can download a free PDF of the Sandra Kruopa Thank You Book by clicking here or on the thumbnail at left. For best results, print on 11 x 17 inch paper then follow the step-by-stop instructions to cut out and fold into the tunnel book shown below. I printed mine at Staples on 67# card stock for about a buck and they look great.

You could also reduce to fit on letter-size paper for an even smaller tunnel book. But for smaller sizes I’d recommend text weight paper instead of card stock.

This book is a tunnel book structure from Ed Hutchins. Floating around the internet I ran across a tutorial for this structure from a 1994 Paper Crafters magazine. Look for more Ed inspiration in his book, Book Dynamics. (Order your copy and get to know this superstar book artist and all-around great guy at artistbooks.com.) Ed was an early teacher and friend in my book arts world and his work continues to inspire after all these years. Thank you, Ed.

For anyone interested in collecting all of the books in this series, you can find Book #1, Tacoma here. and Book #2, Little Free Libraries here and Book #3, Go to Your Studio and Make Something here. Plus, watch this blog for future releases.

Happy making,

Laura

Fresh Cut Xmas by Shawn Sheehy

I’ve always been a big fan of Shawn Sheehy. His work as a paper maker, book artist, pop-up engineer and teacher is top-notch—plus he is a genuine, all-around super person. So, when Shawn recently asked me to carry his books in gallery inventory I was very excited. His most recent book titled, Fresh Cut Xmas: A Well-Trimmed Survey of Holiday Plants is terrific.

Shawn tells us that this book “celebrates the flora that has played a role in winter holidays for centuries. In contrast with the excess of contemporary seasonal traditions, the style of this book is minimal; the palette is spare, the baubles are few, and the text on each page is composed using the haiku’s 17 stark syllables. Here’s a sample from the frankincense spread:

The frankincense tree
bleeds the fragrance of kings; but
commoners choose AX.

Fresh Cut Xmas looks at ancient plant folklore through a contemporary lens with dual purpose: understanding and appreciating each plant more fully, and highlighting oddities of 21st century cultural practice.”

Eelio by Shawn Sheehy

You can purchase Shawn’s work here. He also sent another very interesting pop-up, EELIO, the second in his Enviro-Gods Series.

If you are interested in learning more about Shawn, I recommend listening to his Helen Hiebert podcast interview that very nicely covers his back story, artistic process and several interesting stories about the world of commercial pop-up book publishing.

Also, Shawn is the conference chair for this year’s Movable Book Society conference in Kansas City in September. This is one conference I highly recommend. Many talented book artists are involved in this inspiring organization. Find out more about the MBS and the conference here.

Enjoy!

The Book of Hurt ‘n’ Healing by Smith Eliot

I first met Smith Eliot when I curated her work into Photo+Construct, a group exhibition of mixed-media and sculptural photography way back in 2007. Over the years I have admired her ability to tell a story with photographs and found materials. Her book-like constructions contain narratives that are deep, soulful, sensual, often focused on dark, melancholic and personal refections of life, death, and everything in between. Finally, I’ve decided to carry her work in inventory and I think you will find it as compelling as I do.

Click here to see more bookworks by Smith.

Intrusion by Ellen Knudson

Ellen Knudson, in my opinion, is one of the best letterpress book artists working today. Her books always delve deep into timely issues, are superbly designed and printed and are often subtle works of subversion. Her new book, Intrusion, is a stunner, both visually and topically.

Ellen tells us, “Intrusion is a modern bestiary that illustrates the conjured effects of human encroachment on nature and wildlife. These contemporary beasts are the amalgamation of animal bodies and environmental abuses — the illustrated outcomes of the human excesses of plastic bottles and bags, the unrestrained consumption of goods and the inordinate amount of garbage it creates, the imprudent disposal of decor and furniture, the overuse of water and the naive assumption that water is forever guaranteed, and the evolution of disease that is the consequence of carelessness.”

See more photos of Ellen’s work and order your copy of Intrusion here.

This thank you book was created as a keepsake for the 2018 Paper and Book Intensive (PBI) at Ox-Bow in Saugatuck, Michigan. Every year nearly 100 book and paper artists gather in the back woods of Michigan for nearly two weeks of intensive book binding, paper making and print making workshops. PBI is a phenomenal, sometimes life changing event that I highly recommend for anyone interested in the book arts. Learn more at the PBI web site here.

Thank You Books are a series of books celebrating the first 10 years of 23 Sandy and the plan is to create 10 over the next year or so. All will be free, open-edition books, perhaps one-sheet wonders, perhaps not. But, all aimed at thanking the oh so many friends, artists, librarians, visitors and supporters of the gallery.

You can download a free PDF of the PBI Thank You Book by clicking here or on the thumbnail above right. For best results, print on 11 x 17 inch paper then follow the step-by-stop instructions to cut out and fold into the cube book shown below. I printed mine at Staples on 67# card stock for about a buck and they look great. You could also reduce to fit on letter-size paper for an even smaller miniature book. But for smaller sizes I’d recommend text weight paper instead of card stock.

For anyone interested in collecting all of the books in this series, you can find Book #1, Tacoma here. and Book #2, Little Free Libraries here. Plus, watch this blog for future releases.

Happy folding,

Laura

The Fortune Teller by Malini Gupta

One of the things I miss about having a physical gallery space is watching folks interact with artist books. I used to sit at my desk in the gallery and spy on people. Not for nefarious reasons, of course. It was all in the name of art.

You see, it’s fascinating to watch how viewers enter into a book. How they follow the sequence and flow of a book. How they interact with the content. Did the artist achieve what they were hoping to with the combination of structure and materials and did they achieve their intention for leading the viewer through the book?

Then there is that light bulb moment when a viewer “gets it.” They connect with the book and their face lights up. That decisive moment was especially interesting in a retail gallery space where so many people were unfamiliar with the power of artist books.

The Fortune Teller, a limited edition artist book by Malini Gupta, was one of the best books ever for watching that light bulb moment. Most people picked up this book and said, “Oh! A cootie catcher. I used to make days when I was young.” But then, they read the text and their faces fall and sometimes tears fall as well. With this book Malini uses a playful structure to draw you into her very serious content. She uses this trick as a powerful way to tell difficult story.

For Malini, who grew up in India, “The fortune teller is designed in beautiful patterns to entice the viewer to interact with it but also to camouflage the darkness it holds – the darkness of a child being sexually abused and a family choosing to ignore it.” Malini made this book before the #MeToo movement, which makes it even more poignant today.

Click here to read more of Malini’s story and see more photos of this deeply affecting artist book.

And now for the good news: Malini recently found last three copies of this edition that we thought was sold out. You can order your copy today at the link above.

Take care,

Laura

Forming Common Threads by Mari Eckstein Gower

Mari Eckstein Gower’s powerful new book, Forming Common Threads (detail at right) was inspired by the #MeToo movement. It got me thinking how books about women hold a special place in the book arts world. Our field is populated by strong and talented women who use the medium of the book to tell their stories.

Mari tell us, “As I watch the growing momentum of the #MeToo phenomena lift veils of silence, I am awed by the power of the simple but brave act of telling one’s story. The more often these stories are revealed, the stronger the fabric of truth.” This book weave’s Mari’s own personal experiences with stories of strong women, from history to mythology.

The 23 Sandy Women Rise curated collection features artist books that celebrate women and girls, or shed light on important women’s issues. This online collection of unique and limited-edition artist books is a special way to tell the stories of women, to celebrate our accomplishments, and to frame a dialog about many important topics. Once again we use books to highlight the power of artists to change the world.

Click here to see the Women Rise Curated Collection.

The good news is that during this mad, mad winter I did find time to refresh and renew my inventory of unique and limited edition artist books by many of the same talented book artists you’ve come to know over the past 10 years, but also a few fresh new faces.

Click here to see the new works in inventory. This page gets updated every couple of weeks, so anytime you need a dose of artist book inspiration, just head on over to 23 Sandy’s New Works page.

Enjoy!

Thank You Books are a series of books celebrating the first 10 years of 23 Sandy and the plan is to create eight more over the next year or so. All will be free, open-edition books, perhaps one-sheet wonders, perhaps not. But, all aimed at thanking the oh so many artists, librarians, visitors and supporters of the gallery.

You can download a free PDF of the Little Free Library book here or by clicking on the thumbnail above right. For best results, print on 11 x 17 inch paper then follow the step-by-stop instructions to cut out and fold into the cube book shown below. I printed mine at Staples on 67# card stock for about a buck and they look great. You could also reduce to fit on letter-size paper for an even smaller miniature cube. But for smaller sizes I’d recommend text weight paper instead of card stock.

The Finished Cube

For anyone interested in collecting all of the books in this series, you can find Book #1, Tacoma, here. Plus, watch this blog for future releases. With a little luck, the next one will debut in mid-May, just in time for PBI (Paper and Book Intensive).

Happy folding,

Laura