BOOK ART EXHIBIT AND BOOK ART CLASSES

Tell Me A Story - Interactive Book at the Exhibit

HAPPY NEW YEAR!  I am starting off 2013 with my Book Arts exhibit, A Show of Hands.     

ARTicipate Grant Recipient Starts 2013 with A Show of Hands, A Book Arts Exhibit

If you are a book lover, curious about how books are made or enjoy different art forms, then this is an exhibit you won’t want to miss.  Mary Kritz is a bookbinder, book artist, photographer and artist and incorporates these elements into her book designs and creations.  She teaches Creative Bookbinding and Book Arts at the Ottawa School of Art’s George Street and Orléans campuses.  This past summer, while working on a book, she realized she was watching her hands at work.  Thinking about the importance of hands and the activities carried out by them, she asked herself how she could turn the idea into a book.  Combining a sense of humour and play on words, she designed a set of eight books, called, “A Show of Hands.”  This is an exhibit that will appeal to people of all ages.

Kritz is known for using different materials in her books and for this set of eight books she has used clay, cloth, wood, paper, terra skin and acrylic. The books are shaped in hands, surrounded by hands and supported by hands, and incorporate photographs of hands performing different activities, with images relevant to the narrative in each book.  She embroidered the cloth, inscribed Sumerian hieroglyphs into the clay and turned wood, paper and acrylic into accordion books, flag books and tunnel books with pull-outs.  She combined   tunnel, pop-up and accordion book techniques into one book. 

Kritz provides an opportunity for viewers to interact with one of the books called, Tell Me a Story, which consists of six shaped acrylic hands.  Each hand sits in a stair in an acrylic staircase.  Viewers are invited to use their hands to play with the notion of a non-traditional book form by changing the order and content of the book.  Words may be hung on the fingers and thumbs of the hands or placed on or around the staircase.  When viewers hang the double-sided words on fingers and thumbs two different stories emerge. 

This exhibit challenges our understanding of what a book is and how it functions.  Each book’s narrative invites the viewer in to wonder about and interpret the story being presented through visual images rather than words.  The acrylic book, Tell Me a Story, provides a unique and unusual opportunity by inviting the viewers to interact with and create their own story, thus changing the previous artist’s story and becoming the artist and narrator in that moment of time. 

Mary gratefully acknowledges the financial support of the ARTicipate Endowment Fund which has made this exhibit possible. 

When:               January 8th - 27th, 2013

Vernissage:    Jauary 14th, 2013     7:00 pm to 9:00 pm - Everyone is Welcome

Where:             LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space, Lower Level  

                          Shenkman Arts Centre

                          245 Centrum Boulevard, Orléans, ON

Staircase for the interactive book, Tell Me A Story

 The Hands were shaped into symbols we use everyday to communicate with one another.  I used a heat gun to shape the acrylic.  A great learning moment. 

Here are the hands with some of the words attached to them.  This is where the fun comes in with this book.  

JACK FROST'S NEW YEAR'S GIFT

Well winter has finally arrived, in all its glory and whiteness, over the last two weeks.  Jack Frost has been a welcome visitor and he has left his beautiful art for me to enjoy over the holidays.  I see forests in this picture.  What do you see? 

 I see a flock of birds flying around a tree in this one. 

 BOOKBINDING AND BOOK ART CLASSES AND WORKSHOPS

Classes will be starting again this month.  Here is the schedule for the courses and workshops being offered at the Ottawa School of Art - Bytown Campus and Orléans Campus.  To register for a course or workshop, by phone or online, contact the following: 

George Street Campus: 613-241-7471, info@artottawa.ca, www.artottawa.ca

Orleans Campus: 613-580-2765, osao.info@artottawa.ca, www.artottawa.ca,

 

DATES	Title	CAMPUS	ID#	COST
January 15 – March 26 – 6:30 – 9:30	Bookbinding	George Street	W13D040	$260
January 23 -  April 3 – 6:30 – 9:30	Creative Bookbinding & Book Arts	Orléans	W13S0400A	$245
February 2 – W/shop - 10 – 4:30	Japanese Stab	Orléans	W13SW400A	$110
February 9 – W/shop – 9 – 4:00	Soft Coptic & Sleeve	George Street	W13DWS02	$110
March 16 – W/shop -10 – 4:30	Soft Cover Coptic	Orléans	W13SW400B	$110
March 23 – W/shop – 9 – 4:00	Japanese Stab	George Street	W13DWS03	$110
April 17 – June 19 - 9:00 – 12:00	Bookbinding	George Street	W13D040	$260

BOOK DISPLAY: CUMBERLAND PUBLIC LIBRARY

I was invited to display my books in the vitrine at the Cumberland Public Library.  On December 31st, I set up the display.  I broke it into three sections: Bookbinding, Box Making and Artist Books.  A selection of books on bookbinding and artist books from the library was included in the display.  They have a great selection of books on bookbinding for adults and children. 

 This is the bookbinding section of the display. 

 This is the Artist Books section.

 The top shelf is the Box Making portion of the display and the lower shelf was a combination of boxmaking and tunnel books. 

I will also be doing a bookbinding demonstration during their Literacy week at the end of the month.  When I have the exact date, I'll pass it on.  If you are in the neighbourhood of the Cumberland Library, drop in and have a look at the display.  They have a great selection of books and videos as well. 

UPCOMING EVENTS

In March, I will be participating in a group exhibit at Queen's University and exhibiting my books in the Vitrines at the Minto Suite Hotel on Lyon Street.  I'll post the particulars of these two events in February.

If you have any questions about the books, displays or exhibits, contact me at: bbinder999@gmail.com.

Wishing you a prosperous 2013.

Mary

A SHOW OF HANDS



SEEING THE TREES IN THE FOREST

Seeing the Trees in the Forest is a combination of tunnel, pop-up and accordion books.  The arboretum is one of my favourite places to visit in Ottawa.   I love photographing the trees there and some of the buildings. When applying the photographs to this book I had to take into account the accordion and pop-up folds.  I cut the photographs in half and when looking through the side tunnels an optical illusion is created with the two halves of the pictures.  It’s very interesting.   I cut the building pictures in half and used them as doorways to surround the front and rear tunnel openings.  Other tree photographs include tree roots in the shape of an eye, a turtle and the head of a wild beast.  Six hands, made from balsa wood and Lokta paper support each section of the book.  The texture of the Lokta paper creates a bark-like look and feel to each of the hands.



Can you see the wild beast in this root photograph?

Do you see the turtle in this tree root photograph?

I'm watching you!

MEDIA RELEASE

A SHOW OF HANDS – A Book Arts Exhibit by Mary Kritz

If you are a book lover, curious about how books are made or enjoy different art forms, then this is an exhibit you won’t want to miss.  Mary Kritz is a bookbinder, book artist, photographer and artist who incorporates these elements into her book designs and creations.  She teaches Creative Bookbinding and Book Arts at the Ottawa School of Art’s George Street and Orléans campuses.  This past summer, while working on a book, she realized she was watching her hands at work.  Thinking about the importance of hands and the activities carried out by them, she asked herself how she could turn the idea into a book.  Combining a sense of humour and play on words, she designed a set of eight books, called, “A Show of Hands.”  This is an exhibit that will appeal to people of all ages.

Kritz is known for using different materials in her books and for this set of eight books she has used clay, cloth, wood, paper, terra skin and acrylic. The books are shaped in hands, surrounded by hands and supported by hands, and incorporate photographs of hands performing different activities, as well as sites and images relevant to the narrative in each book.  She embroidered the cloth, inscribed Sumerian hieroglyphs into the clay and turned wood, paper and acrylic into accordion books, flag books, tunnel books with pull-outs, and incorporated a combination of tunnel, pop-up and accordion book techniques into one book. 

Kritz provides an opportunity for viewers to interact with one of the books called, Tell Me a Story, which consists of six shaped acrylic hands sitting in an acrylic staircase.  Viewers are invited to use their hands to play with the notion of a non-traditional book form by changing the order and content of the book.  Words may be hung on the fingers and thumbs of the hands or placed on or around the staircase.  When viewers hang the double-sided words on fingers and thumbs two different stories emerge. 

This exhibit challenges our understanding of what a book is and how it functions.  Each book’s narrative invites the viewer in to wonder about and interpret the story being presented through visual images rather than words.  The acrylic book, Tell Me a Story, provides a unique and unusual opportunity by inviting the viewers to interact with and create their own story, thus changing the previous artist’s story and becoming the artist and narrator in that moment of time. 

A Show of Hands will be exhibited at the LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space on the lower level of the Shenkman Arts Centre in Orléans at 245 Centrum Boulevard from January 8^th to the 27^th 2013.  The vernissage is Monday, January 14^th, 2013 from 7:00 to 9:00 pm. 

More of Mary’s work may be viewed at: www.bookartiste.blogspot.com, and http://youtu.be/k8w13Owr.

SUMERIAN MERCHANT'S ACCOUNT BOOK

The Sumerian Merchant’s Account Book, consist of six clay hands placed in a circle.  When thinking about creating the clay book, I researched historical books and found Sumerian clay tablets and hieroglyphs which I have inscribed in some of the hands.  When reading about what the tablets were used to for, I decided on the account book.  The two hands with broken fingers indicate unpaid accounts.

THE MAKING OF TELL ME A STORY

This is the router-like tool that was used to cut out the acrylic hands and staircase pieces.

Cutting out of the hands.

The final product.  Once all the hands were cut out, the paper was removed and heat applied to the edges of the hands to give a polished finish. 

Shaping of the staircase.  This is a heating strip that applies heat to a specific area of the acrylic so it may be shaped.

Shaping of the staircase.  Once the acrylic has been heated so that it is maleable, it is then bent into shape following a template.

Tell Me a Story is an interactive book and consists of six shaped acrylic hands sitting in an acrylic staircase.  Using a hot air gun I shaped the hands into different shapes: victory, call me, I love you, pointing, OK, and waving.   I wrote words on both sides of pieces of terra skin and joined coloured threads to each.  During the exhibit, viewers are invited to use their hands to play with the notion of a non-traditional book form by changing the order and content of the book.  Words may be hung on the fingers and thumbs of the hands or placed on or around the staircase.  When viewers hang the double-sided words on fingers and thumbs two different stories will emerge. 

2013 COURSES

It's that time of year again.  A very successful course will finish this Wednesday and the 2013 courses and workshops are available for registration. 

OTTAWA SCHOOL OF ART – 2013

BOOKBINDING AND BOOK ARTS COURSES

Do you have an appreciation for books?  Are you curious about how books are made?  Are you looking for a new set of skills to learn?  Join us to learn how to make 5 traditional books using centuries old techniques. Set your creativity free to create accordion, tunnel, slide, folding, and flag books (9 in total) that tell a story using images, photos or drawings.  Using paste, create decorative paste papers for your book covers and venture into the world of suminagashi – a Japanese paper marbling technique. 

DOWNTOWN CAMPUS – 35 George Street

BOOKBINDING – W13D040 – 12 weeks

When:  January 15 – March 23 2013 – 6:30 – 9:30 pm

ORLÉANS CAMPUS – 245 Centrum Boulevard

CREATIVE BOOKBINDING AND BOOK ARTS – W13S0400A – 10 Weeks

When:  January 23 – April 3, 2013 – 6:30 – 9:30 pm

2013 WORKSHOPS

February 2, 2013 -  W13SWS400A - Japanese Stab Binding- 10:00 am – 4:30

Orléans Campus – Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulveard

February 9, 2013 – W13DWS02 - Soft Cover Coptic Bound Book with Sleeve

9:00 – 4:00 pm – Downtown Campus – 35 George Street

March 14, 2013 – W13SWS400B – Soft Cover Coptic Bound Book with Sleeve – 10:00 – 4:30 pm – Orléans Campus, 245 Centrum Boulvard

March 23, 2013 – W13DWS03 – Japanese Stab Binding – 9:00 – 4:00 pm

Downtown Campus – 35 George Street

REGISTRATION FOR COURSES AND WORKSHOPS

Downtown Registration:  info@artottawa.ca – General Interest or by phone:

613-241-7471

Orléans Registration: osao.info@artottawa.ca – General Interest or by phone: 613-580-2765

As Christmas is quickly approaching you may want to give that someone special the gift of learning.  A great way to start a new year. 

If you have any questions about the books, the exhibit, the courses and workshops, please contact me at bbinder999@gmail.com.

Wishing you happy holidays.  

Mary 








A SHOW OF HANDS

I am a book binder, book artist, photographer and artist and I bring these elements into play when I am designing and creating books.  This past summer, while making a book, I realized I was watching my hands at work.  I have always liked looking at people’s hands, their size, shape, length of fingers and their wear and tear.  I started thinking about the importance of hands, our tools for carrying out activities such as: self-care and care for others, creating and taking apart, indicating a presence or giving direction.  As a book artist, I am always asking myself, “How can I turn this idea or object into a book?“  This was the beginning of  “A Show of Hands” coming into being.   

As “A Show of Hands” moved from idea to possibility, I started to think about what materials I wanted to use to create the books.  I decided upon wood, clay, paper, cloth and acrylic.  I used terra skin, for support, to line the hands and photographs, and acrylic paint to colour the clay. A Show of Hands consists of eight different books which are the shape of hands, are surrounded by hands and supported by hands.   Photographs of hands performing different activities and abstract drawings are incorporated into each book. 

A STITCH IN TIME

A Stitch in Time is a hanging book.  I used some beautiful cotton with interesting designs and embroidered parts of the designs.  I then lined each cloth hand with terra skin and covered the terra skin with molded paper.  I attached words, that are used in the craft of sewing and stitching, between thumbs and fore fingers with waxed, braided cotton thread.  While at Manotick’s Heritage Days this past spring, I took pictures of ladies making handmade lace.  Two of these pictures are attached to the hands. 

EAT, CREATE AND PLAY 1:

I used a bright blue Fabriano card stock for this accordion slide book.  I designed pockets for the photographs and lined each photograph with terra skin and attached a waxed, braided cotton pull to each. I placed photographs on both sides of this book.  Mini acrylic paintings decorate the blank pages of this book.    

Abstract drawing on the cover of Eat, Create and Play 1 

I took this photo of a music man spinning out tunes at the China Town Remix event this past summer. 

EAT, CREATE AND PLAY 2:

Fabriano card stock surrounds mini photographs in this tunnel accordion book.  I cut the center out of each panel and attached photographs to both sides of the free floating panel.  Abstract drawings enhance the hand covers and when the panels are folded left and right a tunnel is created in which the pictures may be viewed.

This photo was taken during the China Town Remix event this past summer.  A young artist was adding her creative touch to a large painting. 

BOYS AND THEIR TOYS AT WORK

       Front view - looking into the tunnel

Side View

Boys and Their Toys at Work is a tunnel book with hands supporting each section.  I find construction sites very interesting to photograph.  Varying sizes of equipment and materials relative to the people who operate and use them create interesting proportions.  The photographs in this book come from four different construction sites; a building teardown on Elgin Street and the de-construction of the convention centre, the repair of a section of canal where an old corduroy road was exposed and a sidewalk installation in the west-end of the city.  Photographs of the construction sites, construction equipment and construction workers have been placed strategically throughout the tunnels to give the viewer an interesting perspective from the front and sides of the book.  I used book board for each section of the tunnel and covered it with Lokta paper.  The sides are stitched in place allowing for movement of the side panels.  I used a photograph of doors to create the open doors in the site office hand.  

I had great fun photographing these workers.  It was a beautiful day and the mood was light as these fellows installed new sidewalks in the west-end of the city.  

These are four of the books and some of the photographs in the books that that make up my book arts exhibit called: "A Show of Hands". 

A SHOW OF HANDS EXHIBIT

When:               January 8th - 27th, 2013

Vernissage:    Jauary 14th, 2013     7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Where:             LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space, Lower Level  

                          Shenkman Arts Centre

                          245 Centrum Boulevard, Orléans, ON

I hope to see you at the vernissage in January.  Wishing you a very Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.

If you have any questions about this exhibit or the books I create, please contact me at: bbinder999@gmail.com.  I'd be happy to discuss them with you.

Mary

A SHOW OF HANDS BOOK ARTS EXHIBIT

Hello Everyone:

The exhibit is official and here is the information.  Please join me to celebrate my book arts exhibit in January 2013.  It will be a nice way to start out the new year.  

Here are the particulars: 

January 7 - 27, 2013/Vernissage January 14, 2013 - 7:00 - 9:00 pm

LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space, Lower Level
Shenkman Arts Centre, 245 Centrum Boulevard,
Ottawa, Ontario

NEWS RELEASE

Fund Fuels Passion for the Arts at the Shenkman Arts Centre

2012-13 ARTicipate Grant Recipients Announced

Ottawa, Ontario

AOE Arts Council has announced its 2012‐13 ARTicipate Endowment Fund Grant

recipients. $66,405 has been awarded to 13 artists and arts organizations, and to the resident arts
partners, to support artistic activities, programming and services at the Shenkman Arts Centre.

“The recipients are all talented artists and arts organizations who are passionate about their projects,” says Heather Jamieson, president of AOE Arts Council. “The funding is a direct way to foster artistic innovation and spark creativity by encouraging groups and artists to make the most of the Centre’s professional spaces.”

Now in its third year, the ARTicipate Endowment Fund Grant Program has distributed $183,537 to date in grants to stimulate local arts activities, programming and services at the Shenkman Arts Centre.

New this year is the opportunity for visual artists to apply for an ARTicipate grant to exhibit in the

LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space. Shenkman Arts Centre visitors will be able to interact with

A Show of Hands, an exhibit of creative books crafted by visual artist Mary Kritz, to be presented in early 2013.

“Visitors to the LaLande + Doyle Exhibition Space will be invited to interact with the artwork; something not ordinarily encouraged in a gallery setting,” says Kritz. “I am very thankful for receiving the ARTicipate grant and for the opportunity to show my book art at the Shenkman Arts Centre.”

“The ARTicipate Grant recipients are energizing the Centre with projects from a variety of artistic

disciplines that are actively engaging the public and connecting with local audiences,” Jamieson adds.

That is about all for now.  Hope to see you at the exhibit. 

If you have any questions about the books or exhibit, you may contact me at: bbinder999@gmail.com.

Enjoy the beautiful fall weather.

Mary