Building books

I find the amazing installations of Jan Reymonds so very inspiring and uplifting because they say so much about the book not only as a thing of beauty but also as a useful and necessary part of our lives. The majority of the photos above document the "24 heures du livre" exhibition in Romainmôtier in Switzerland. In this small town after the annual book fair, Jan Reymonds takes all the unsold books and works his magic to give the books, as he says, "a last life" before they are disposed of. To my mind he does so much more than that. I love the symbolism of the book as part of the very fabric of our lives; a necessary component that supports us and even shelters us as it educates and fascinates. While I did squirm to read that the books were later just thrown away I'm still in total awe of these installations and what has become a tradition for this town, attracting visitors for its own sake. Found via here and here.

Photo credit - Tim Tom Flickr page.

People of the Book #27: Susan Cutts

There are so many examples of the myriad of ways that the simple sheet of paper has been manipulated and folded and cut etc. Not so many, however, whose work is actually built on the premise of actually fashioning the paper themselves in order to give meaning to their pieces. Such an example can be found in the work of Sussex-based artist Susan Cutts. All of the pieces featured above have been formed by Cutts' application of her own handmade paper-working process, working with raw fibres and fashioning them according to traditional European techniques. It is this complex structure of fibres that enables her to fashion these forms without the need for glue, stitching or armatures. What makes this process even more interesting, for me anyway, is that Cutts was a London College of Furniture graduate - don't you think that's just wild? For me, the way that a piece of furniture might be fashioned from some wood resonates so strongly with the building of a handmade paper mass that can be molded and formed into a dress! It's also interesting that dress is the central theme in her work - that it is a layer we employ in much the same way that the fibre layers construct a form, or identity. What I find particularly fascinating, though, is Cutts' investigation into how individual components lose their original identity once orchestrated and layered into a new form.

‘We shape the clothes we wear, making them as individual as a thumbprint and like a thumbprint they can expose and betray.’ (Susan Cutts)

It is this interplay between the wearer and the observer that intrigues Cutts and provides the impetus for this amazingly beautiful and exquisite work. You can find out more about Susan Cutts' work on her website. There's also a very informative biography of her work here. I found her via the wonderful Paper book.

Paper shoes!

I've just seen this fabulous post over at Meet Me at Mikes and could not resist sharing immediately.... Paper trainers! Aren't they fabulous? David Brownings is the man behind these wonders. You can see more of David's work here and actually buy your own pair of paper trainers at David's shop here. I'd love to see an art installation of these trainers running all over the walls ;)

People of the Book #26: Gary Harvey

If you're reading this blog, I think it's a fair presumption for me to say that we all love paper. I admit I have stockpiles of the stuff, literally... it's the stock that excites me so much - the feel of one, the weight of another, all colours and textures. Sadly, though, this obsession does have an ethical dimension which I find pin-pricking me quite often these days... Recycle, and restrain myself from unnecessary waste, seems to be how I currently deal with it. Luckily, paper is perhaps the one medium which is most easily recycled at the present time. So we see many artists employing recycled paper in their works, even in the fashion industry...

Fashion designer Gary Harvey's Newspaper Dress was part of a stunning exhibition during London Fashion Week in 2007 which showcased a collection of eco-conscious couture. The dress is made from 30 copies of the Financial Times, but there were also dresses made from other second-hand items such as bottle tops and plastic bags, old suits and army jackets, to highlight the throw-away mentality in society by recontextualising them.

I like it. It makes people think about paper wastage and adds a 'value' to the medium which sadly isn't felt by most in the community (probably the people who don't read this blog!) ;) You can find the collection here and view his complete works on his website here. Found via the wonderful Paper book.

People of the Book #25: Michael Cepress

We have finally reached the third and final section of the wonderful Paper book, and I have to confess that it's my favourite... Paper Fashion. Yes, I am a closet paper doll hoarder and I get the feeling I'm not alone in this particular fascination...

Michael Cepress is an artist intensely interested in the male wardrobe. He was commissioned by the Greek cultural organisation ATOPOS to create fashion from paper for the 2006 exhibition, RRRIPP! Paper Fashion. These fabulous pieces, in a series entitled Collars for the Modern Gentleman, are the result. Made from Yellow Pages directories they explore his fascination with fashion's relationship to gender and popular culture. What I love about his pieces is that he focuses on fashion as art and his use of paper to create these collars seems to emphasize that link. Already nominated for awards and exhibitions along side fashion greats such as John Galliano, Issey Miyake and Hussein Chalayan, he seems to have succeeded in this quest. You can check out Cepress' collections on his website here and view his blog here.

Inspirational Blog: Skinny LaMinx

I love this photo :)

I'm starting a new post theme today: Inspirational Blog... paper-related blogs, of course ;) I think it's time. I'm loving all the professional folk wowing us with their wares, but I'm ready for some quiet achievers too... what do you think?

Conversely though, I'm starting with a big name in the blog world... Heather Moore aka Skinny LaMinx. I know... you know her, you love her, you've been following her blog for years... I have too but it just struck me (about 15 mins ago) that I'd always regarded her as a fabric designer, screen printer, home furnishings queen extraordinaire. It has previously somehow skimmed my consciousness that the screens and designs for her work were actually paper cut creations of the most fabulous kind. Not only that, paper cutting is a medium she frequently employs for her work. Look at all these beauties lined up together above. Heather has just returned from some time away from her work and her blog and pictures 2, 3 and 4 above are the magnificent results of her 'down time'. A talent to be celebrated I think :)

If you haven't done so already, have a lovely wander around the Skinny LaMinx blog, website, shop and Cutouts Portfolio.

People of the Book #24: Takeshi Ishiguro

It's been a while since I've posted a new entry in this Paper book series. For those who've joined us here in that intervening time, I feel I should introduce you to this wonderful find... Paper: Tear Fold Rip Crease Cut is a magnificent volume of contemporary paper artists and artisans who work in many areas of life. It's a celebration of this amazing medium, but not necessarily featuring artists who work exclusively in the genre...

And so it is with our next paper genius, Takeshi Ishiguro. An Industrial Design graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, Takeshi Ishiguro has worked extensively in both the USA and Japan but has now set up his own studio in Tokyo. Visit his website here and you will see some of the amazing projects he has been working on, like his performance in zero gravity project (in collaboration with the national space development agency in Japan). It feels quite gratifying then, that such a designer should turn his attention to creating a book with a pop-up paper lantern. Lit by three small LEDs and a low-voltage adaptor, it is more of an atmospheric object in function. It reminds me of childhood and all the fascinating paper pop-up books that would make the subject come alive. Of his motivations, Ishiguro says:

I always hope to create things to make people happy

He's certainly made me happy :) Visit his website to see more and you can find out more about the Paper book here.

Hina Aoyama

Paper cuttings feature quite regularly around here so I'm sure you are thinking to yourself "Oh yes, another one, isn't it pretty..." ... and yes, the paper cuts of Hina Aoyama are exquisitely pretty, so delicate and ethereal. The thing is, though, this is not laser work, it wasn't even done with a scalpel... Hina Aoyama cuts out all of these by hand with scissors! *gasp!* I just can't get over this. There's a YouTube video of her cutting a piece if you don't believe me ;)

To see more of her beautiful work, there's her website here and her Flickr Photostream show here. Aoyama only speaks/writes French and Japanese, but there is a CV in English here.

Paper Face

Anyone who's ever worked in graphic design, publishing or some other profession targeted by paper companies will know the sheer delight and joy that accompanies the arrival of the free paper swatches :) There was always a bit of healthy competition in my day, but always – always – they vied for your attention in book swatch form... You know what's coming, don't you? The above photos document the fabulous work of graphic designer Hector Sos, creator of this totally unforgettable rendering of stock examples for the Torres Paper Swatch Book Company. Granted, it's a bit of an in yer face idea, but I think it's brilliant :)

Photography by Xavier Mandiola

Found here via here

Streaming consciousness ?

There's a fabulous installation in Cordoba, Spain, that is flying all over blogland at the moment... a sprouting stream of books exploding from buildings. It so definitely caught my eye and I hope you like it too. It's just too cool, don't you think? This is the work of Alicia Martin. Apparently, over 5000 books were used in its creation... pretty amazing really when you consider the tunnel structure she has used to support the work. (Now this would be a rather fab place to read!)

Above is some more of Alicia Martin's work. You can view her portfolio here.

via Black Eiffel + Designverb

Poetry in motion

Always come back with a bang I say ;) Isn't this work just stunning? The artist is Ebon Heath, visiting professor of graphic design at Lehman College in the Bronx, NY. He began with a love of typography and a desire to see it evolve a physicality of its own. His typographical mobiles certainly do this. There's almost a feeling of viewing a living thing, don't you think? I love that the words and letters themselves are the art form; the central entity rather than a facilitative tool. As Heath says:

We use type daily yet rarely appreciate the form of a letter. By liberating type from the confines of the page we not only free the words to express the content in a new dimension of scale, volume, and movement, but also force the reader to become a viewer. This process reveals the form of our letters while creating a new relationship to our language in our ability to feel versus only read the content.

You can view his website, Listening With My Eyes here.

Temporary break in transmission

I'm out of town for a couple of weeks, but I will be back :) I'm afraid I won't be able to reply to your comments until I return but please still leave them... Also, feel free to wander over past postings if you need a paper fix! Cheers, Kylie x

People of the Book #23: Thomas Allen

American artist Thomas Allen has tapped into one of his culture's most striking vintage paper icons - pulp fiction. It's an arresting subject matter that he has recreated into the more dramatic form of a 3D sculpture. He cuts out the two-dimensional figures of pulp fiction book covers and refashions them into a graphic depiction of the action within. Anyone lucky enough to have a ViewFinder as a child will identify with the orientation of these images. Like the good old ViewFinder, the appeal is in that captured moment of intense action and emotion. His work also, however, retains that misogynistic feeling of the pulp fiction genre. I was unable to find a website for Thomas Allen, but you can view a selection of his work on the Foley Gallery site here or download the Georgia Review PDF article and photos on his work here. I found Thomas Allen via my lovely Paper book.

*p.s. Okay, maybe misogynistic is a bit strong, but they are very much of their time and values... think Mad Men in a pulp novel! ;)

And so the postscripts thicken on our 3D pulp adventure... ;) I've just received a lovely comment from David Ingle, one of the editors of the Georgia Review, inviting us to see how they utilized a piece by Allen on their cover... So, what do you think? I'm actually fascinated with the idea of representing a 3D structure of a traditionally 2D one back onto the cover of another two dimensional media... I love the way the depth transference has affected the way I regard the magazine as an entity... Okay, my late night musings aside, let me know what you think :)

Georgia Review (Vol 61, No.1) Spring 2007

Calendar time!

January 2010

November 2010

July 2010

Mock up of July

October 2010

What is it about calendars? Even the most modest edition has me enthralled, turning the pages in wide-eyed expectation of the treats awaiting me... Who knew that the eyes could get even wider! Have you blinked yet? It's good to take a moment to settle... a moment to readjust your neurons and your processing electro-impulses... This is apparently what a calendar can really be... This amazing work of art was the visual communication graduation project of Johann Volkmer this year. The all-white designs open to an A3 size with each month featuring a unique paper cut... The only problem is, I don't think I could write on this. It needs its own shelf for grand display methinks! :) See more of Volkmer's work on his website here. There's a special site for the calendar here and a video of the calendar being assembled here.

Found via designboom

Photography by Kristian Barthen