AN ENDING AND NEW BEGINNINGS

A SHOW OF HANDS

The exhibit came down on the 28^th 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



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