Little Autumn Artists Book

Little Autumn

Artists' Books
Little Autumn Artists Book
Kleiner Herbst (Little Autumn) Artists’ Book

Inspired by the textiles, paintings and sketchbooks of Bernat Klein – this artists’ book is formed of 16 digitally printed photographs on recycled paper, collaged images and a woven velvet ribbon cover. An origami tray box completes the artists’ book.

Artists book and origami box
Kleiner Herbst (Little Autumn)


Previewing the exhibition Bernat Klein : A Life in Colour at the National Museum of Scotland (until 23rd April 2023) I was struck by how the textiles managed to evoke the Scottish landscape. Some shine with the verdant green soup of summer but most reminded me of autumn when the air is crisp and the colours are muted. Soft greens give way to the russet fallen leaves, inky reflections in puddles and twilight mauve hills.

Methven Woods photographs with colour swatch background
Methven Woods – photographs with colour swatch background.


The photographs for this project were taken at Methven Woods, Perthshire on the 6th November 2022 exactly 100 years after Klein was born – where autumnal colour palettes similar to some of those used by Klein’s wool dying schemes can be found. The patterns of nature also influenced the selection of materials for the cover of the book to echo the famous Klein mohair and ribbon fabrics.

Superwife magazine collage
Superwife magazine collage


Looking at the fashion images from the 1960s and 1970s in the exhibition brought to mind magazines passed down through the family and featuring various designs of knitwear and home sewing – the pages in the book are backed by several collaged pages of Superwife (1977) – the sections used were “Cloth”, “Dye”, “Flooring”, “Herbs” and “Yarn” . (EDIT - Sold)

Kleiner Herbst (Little Autumn) will be on display at –

Pattern:BooksArtist Bookmakers Exhibition

26 Nov – 23 Dec
Wed-Fri 11-5, Sat & Sun 11-4.

UPRIGHT Gallery
3 Barclay Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4HP.
 

“Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern.”

Alfred North Whitehead
(British Philosopher and Mathematician, 1861-1947)

People often have a visual preference for symmetry and repetition and are frequently attracted to geometric shapes and patterns. There is something incredibly mesmerising and comforting about seeing a shape or an image repeated in a mathematical order. Artists recognise this and frequently use pattern for both structural and decorative purposes. Roman and Egyptian tile work, the wallpapers by Morris & Co., and the paintings of Victor Vasarely and Brigit Riley are all examples of where pattern has been employed to great effect. Upright Gallery frequently exhibits artworks that have pattern at their core. Continuing this theme, artist bookmakers were invited to submit artworks for the annual artist book exhibition held every December. The brief was simple – celebrate pattern in artist book form. Over 80 handmade books will be on display from 35 artists.

Single sheet gallery artist's book

Nets and Portholes

Artists' Books, Small Editions
Single sheet gallery artist’s book, pictured on the flat print.

During lockdown I came across examples of Gallery Books on Alisa Golden’s wonderful website – Making Handmade Books . Flag books with windows – framing the image behind them.

In the autumn of 2021 we took the opportunity to travel locally during a break from the pandemic – one of our visits took us to the fishing port of Kinlochbervie on the West coast. It was lightly raining as is so often the case in Scotland, but the water made all the colours of the rusty anchors gleam. Piles of bright woven fishing nets picked up new patterns in their slumped layers. Fish boxes stacked like a backdrop to a Wes Anderson film – symetrical pinks and reds.

Sculpture of two single sheet gallery artists' books (from above)
Sculptural arrangement of two single sheet gallery artists’ books (from above)

Returning from the trip, the photographs from this colourful day inspired me to knock some rust off myself and try a few new techniques. I was reminded of the gallery books and started folding, cutting and punching out windows forming various maquettes and generally having a lot of fun figuring out the structure.

Three single sheet gallery artist's books
Sculptural arrangement of three single sheet gallery artist’s books (freestanding)

To make an edition a bit more rigor is required so I formed a NET (template) to position all my PORTHOLES… and the title of this set became clear. The photographs of the bundles of bright fishing nets were the perfect back for the single sheet books – each porthole showing a new abstract and the arrangement of the windows across the book forming a pleasing pattern ( unless you suffer from trypophobia! )

Variable edition of 4 single sheet gallery artists' books (back)
Variable edition of 4 single sheet gallery artists’ books (back)

In making the variable print edition it became clear that the books also worked in groups to form some wonderful sculptural towers. The memory of paper when creased allows them to be opened completely flat, then gently reformed back into the flag structure. (EDIT – 1 remaining and I’m delighted that the NLS now has one in their collection!)

Nets and Portholes will be on display at –

Pattern:BooksArtist Bookmakers Exhibition

26 Nov – 23 Dec
Wed-Fri 11-5, Sat & Sun 11-4.

UPRIGHT Gallery
3 Barclay Terrace, Edinburgh EH10 4HP.
 

“Art is the imposing of a pattern on experience, and our aesthetic enjoyment is recognition of the pattern.”

Alfred North Whitehead
(British Philosopher and Mathematician, 1861-1947)

People often have a visual preference for symmetry and repetition and are frequently attracted to geometric shapes and patterns. There is something incredibly mesmerising and comforting about seeing a shape or an image repeated in a mathematical order. Artists recognise this and frequently use pattern for both structural and decorative purposes. Roman and Egyptian tile work, the wallpapers by Morris & Co., and the paintings of Victor Vasarely and Brigit Riley are all examples of where pattern has been employed to great effect. Upright Gallery frequently exhibits artworks that have pattern at their core. Continuing this theme, artist bookmakers were invited to submit artworks for the annual artist book exhibition held every December. The brief was simple – celebrate pattern in artist book form. Over 80 handmade books will be on display from 35 artists.

Limekilns Artists' Book pop out gallery open

Paths, Pends, Passages and Polaroids

Artists' Books, Event
Limekilns Artists' Book Cover
Limekilns Artists’ Book Cover

Winter Exhibition

October – December

No.13 Gallery
13 High Street
Newport on Tay
DD6 8AB

https://no13gallery.co.uk/

Limekilns Artists' Book pop out gallery
Limekilns Artists’ Book pop out gallery opening

Limekilns is an unique artists’ book album containing four polaroid photographs with an additional polaroid inset into the deckle edged somerset paper cover. The structure uses a twist pop-out mechanism to unfurl the album into a personal gallery.

Limekilns Artists' Book pop out gallery
Limekilns Artists’ Book pop out gallery

The photographs were taken for the Edinburgh LoFi Paths Pends and Passages project at Limekilns in Fife, a historic village dating back to the 14th centuary where lime was processed for mortar and other uses.

The Sea Waits For Me - Shrigley Binding Book - Lost Path Press 2020

Sea Dreams

Artists' Books

The North Sea is only 4 miles from where I sleep but it is as far as these times are concerned it is as distant as the Cape of Good Hope eight and a half thousand miles away.

Dreaming of the Sea – Fishbone fold book with inclusions – Lost Path Press 2020

But the sea waits, it will be there waiting when this passes.

And while we wait we can remember past voyages.

Decks is a spiral accordion fold with transparent prints from journeys between the Hebrides. A tailored envelope finishes the books.

Not 100 Days - Abstract Meander Book - Lost Path Press 2020

Not 100 Days

Artists' Books

As lockdown continues we all surmise we aught to be doing something but lacking any inclination or creative thought repetition might be the answer.

Not 100 Days - Abstract Meander Books - Lost Path Press 2020

Mini meander books meet a number of my modest goals –

  • make something quick
  • make something everyday
  • use up what I already have in the house
  • practice abstract painting techniques
  • make books

The project uses a Liquitex basics acrylic paint set of 48 mini tubes (some colours I can think of no other use for) and some A3 FlatWhite paper (which is good for pencil or acrylic sketches on but useless for printing or water soluble media as the plastic content in the paper allows the inks to lift.)

The book form is as simple as possible.

Not 100 Days - Abstract Meander Book - How to cut- Lost Path Press 2020

Painted, cut, folded with a couple of dabs of glue to hold everything in place.

They multiply…

Not 100 Days - Abstract Meander Books - Lost Path Press 2020
Forth Margins Accordion Book by J Rowan designed and published by Lost Path Press 2019

Forth Margins

Small Editions
Forth Margins –
woodblocks by J Rowan, accordion book designed and published by Lost Path Press, 2019.

Having known each other for over a decade and reconnecting at a woodblock printing class a few years ago, our collaboration on Forth Margins made for a very satisfying project.

During the class we were both inspired by the local shoreline and its historical sites. Rowan continued with the project developing over a dozen plates following the edgelands of the Firth of Forth Estuary while I went on to develop blocks of a series of details from the Steam Ship Explorer.

Printed on recycled bamboo paper as a hard cover accordion and tied with string. Edition of 20. Suitable for use as a book or a linear display of prints with the accordion form fully extended. A map is included to allow you to visit each of the viewpoints.

Forth Margins is available for sale at Art Walk Porty, Gallery 10 Edinburgh, Print Space Dundee and other select events. (Edit – Edition I – SOLD OUT)

Merry Go Round

Artists' Books, Event, Origami, Small Editions

Developing books for the Art Walk Porty “Pleasure Ground” theme led our collective to consider the carousel, not only of significance in the fairground as a swirling ride but also to photographers as the holder of memories in sequence – the slide projector carousel.

Thinking about the theme for several months the final project formed when I encountered a boarded up Merry-Go-Round in France. It was 37 degrees, the ride abandoned by the sensible folk who didn’t want to melt in a plastic tent. Time alone to make multiple exposure medium format colour kodak images of the structure.

These photographs formed the ground of the work. Four photographic prints, an installation of transparent floating circular accetate ‘bubbles’ on a glass balustrade and the book works themselves.

Experimenting with the circular form led to the main work Merry-Go-Round. A hard cover double sided accordion variant with paper cut letters. The slinky book could be displayed in a variety of round forms, but also stretched out to permit the prints to be seen. Edition of 5. (Edit – SOLD OUT)

Taking inspiration from the transparent installation further artists’ books were developed utilising origami and map folding techniques to make additional carousel forms.

The final book in the series – with a nod to our hosts at Twelve Triangles – was a work of off cuts, recycling the cut off papers from the other works to form a unique triangular structure with loose pages and many display possibilities.