Tuesday 12 February 2013

AN ENDING AND NEW BEGINNINGS



A SHOW OF HANDS

The exhibit came down on the 28th of January.  All in all it was a great success.  Adults and children alike enjoyed the exhibit.  Comments by those who viewed and played with the books were positive: 

·        “The art work is quite neat! Nothing like I have seen.  Great Job!”
·        “Great show, very poetic and full of colours and images.  Everything I like!”
·        “Fantastic, very impressive and so natural.”
·        “Very beautiful.” 
·        “Une sensation de bein – être.  Une experience réillement unique en son genre – fantastique!  On peu mettre de soon imagination et ceci sans aucune limite.  Merci beaucoup de partager.”

Mike Taylor installing the hanging hands in the exhibit. 

LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space, Shenkman Arts Centre, Ottawa, Ontario


“Very interesting and inventive.  This is a great book - like the suspended hands and the solid ones on the table."

Sumerian Merchant's Account Book

  “Very imaginative! I know you want it as an art exhibit, but it could be used in homes for a game, educational interactive tool, way to express emotions…Great exhibit.”

 “Wonderful exhibit.  Great work Mary.  I was mesmerized moving around the words.  It definitely captured my attention.”


  “I liked playing with the hands and the words.  Bravo!”

 Flag Book: Eat, Create, Play

 Tunnel Book: Boys and Their Toys At Work


Accordion Slide Book: Eat, Create, Play


 
Accordion Book: Eat, Create, Play

Tunnel, Pop-up Book: Seeing the Trees in the Forest



WHAT’S NEXT

TWO EXHIBITS

I have two exhibits coming up in March:

CONTEMPORARY BOOK ARTS IN EASTERN ONTARIO
 March 1, 2013 to May 31, 2013

W.D. Jordan Special Collections and Music Library, Queen’s University
Kingston, ON

This exhibit brings together work from a representative group of book arts practitioners in eastern Ontario.  Each of the thirteen artists chose pieces made during the past decade which would show their creativity and skill. 

I selected 10 miniature books for this exhibit. 

Opening Reception:  March 7, 2013 – 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm

In the Graham George Seminar Room, next to the exhibition space:

·        Introductions by Margaret Lock, Lock’s Press and Larry Thompson, Greyweathers Press

·        Barbara Teatero, Curator of Special Collections will talk about the artists and the catalogue, which will be available at the opening. 

·        Books in the exhibit will also be for sale. 

Some of the books I have in the exhibit:

Butterfly Landscapes Box - 57 x 45 x 32 mm


Butterfly Landscapes - 45 x 29 705 mm


This Way - 64 X 70 mm


Star Light, Star Bright - 57 x 64 mm


Clam Shell - Box: 108 x 102 x 32 mm/ Book: 64 x 57 mm


SPIRIT HOUSES -  March 7, 2013 to April 30, 2013

Minto Suite Hotel, 187 Lyon Street, North, Ottawa, ON

This exhibit is based on seminars and lectures by Anaïs Nin.  At the age of 11, she moved to the United States with her mother.  She couldn’t speak English so she started journaling daily, writing about her losses, events and reflecting on life experiences.  She continued to journal throughout her life.  Drawing from the contents of her journals she wrote books: fiction and non-fiction.  In her seminars and lectures, she mentions Spirit House, a place of solace, a place to recover vision and a place to reconstruct oneself after shattering life experiences.   She describes two Spirit Houses, one the external: her journals and two, the internal: her inner world: a protective place to go to when life was difficult. 

Traditionally, a spirit house, found in Southeast Asian countries, is a shrine to the protective spirit of a place.  They often include images of people and animals.  Votive offerings are left at the house to propitiate the spirits.  A Spirit House is in the form of a miniature house or temple, mounted on a pillar or dais and placed in an auspicious spot in a corner of a property.  The house is intended to provide a shelter for spirits which can cause problems for the people, if not appeased. 

If you are downtown in the Lyon Street area between March 7 and April 30, 2013, drop in and have a look at this exhibit.  Here's a sneak peek at some of the spirit houses in the exhibit. 

This house is covered with fabric.  The flower on the top of the roof is made from paper and porcupine quills.  The small tree on the other side of the roof has words written on rice paper.  When the roof is lifted off the house the roots of the tree have words written on rice paper.  A large flower sits in the corner next to a large flower in the fabric.  Words written on rice paper adorn the interior walls of the house. 

This multi-level condo is made from Lokta paper, bookboard and the edges are finished in leather.  I used a decorative Japanese paper for the sides and a satin flower for the top.  Little cards at the entrance of each condo have words written on rice paper. 


COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

Here is the lineup for the spring courses and workshops.  Summer courses and workshops will be announced at a later date. 

March 16, 2013
10:00 – 4:30 pm
Soft Cover Coptic Bound Book with Sleeve
Ottawa School of Art
Orléans Campus
Shenkman Arts Centre
March 23, 2013
9:00 – 4:00 pm
Japanese Stab Bound Book
Ottawa School of Art
35 George Street
Ottawa, ON
April 16 -  June 18, 2013
1:00 – 4:00 pm
Bookbinding/Book Arts Course
Ottawa School of Art
Orléans Campus
Shenkman Arts Centre
April 17 – June 19, 2013
9:00 – 12:00 pm
Bookbinding Course
Ottawa School of Art
35 George Street
May 25 – 26,  2013
10:00 – 4:30 pm
Japanese Hidden Compartment Box Workshop
Ottawa School of Art
Orléans Campus
Shenkman Arts Centre
June 8, 2013
10:00 – 4:30
Explorer's Leather Journal
Ottawa School of Art
Orléans Campus
Shenkman Arts Centre


Coptic Bound Book with Sleeve

Japanese Stab Bound Books

The Japanese Hidden Compartment Box is one box.  When opened one way, it has one compartment and when turned around and opened, it has two compartments.  This is a fascinating box and it makes a beautiful gift.  In making this box, there are four boxes, each with a lid.  I used beautiful Japanese papers to cover it and used four wooden beads for the feet.   

 Japanese Hidden Compartment Box - Front View  


 Japanese Hidden Compartment Box - Back View

 Japanese Hidden Compartment Box - Two Compartments

Japanese Hidden Compartment Box - Two Compartments

Explorer's Leather Journal

Explorer's Leather Journal - Back View

Explorer's Leather Journal - Front View