About the exhibit

Artists:

Alice Shaw
Alisa Golden
Betsy Davids
Bettina Pauly
Casey Gardner
Charles Hobson
Julie Chen
Karen Sjoholm
Kat Howard
Lucia Dill
Lucy Childs
Macy Chadwick
Mandie Rider
Michael Henninger
Nance O'Banion
Reiko Fujii
Thomas Rockwell

 

Alisa Golden

Albany, California

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Woods in the City

Nideggen and Ingres papers, Cherry Paperwood (veneer) paper, Cave paper, Mylar, book cloth, Davey board, museum board, linen thread

10 x 6 x 3

© 2013

edtion size: 20

$ 475

A Lebbeus Woods exhibit at SFMOMA featured buildings that incorporated their own ruins, contained their own destruction. Could I create a book that appeared to be disintegrating, yet be structurally sound? I began with an innovative structure I designed: the Winged Book. For the text, I had documented the seemingly ordinary demolition of a house; once fictionalized, that seemed right for the content. After I began to set the type by hand I saw I would only have enough letters for one section at a time; each section had to be condensed to 77 words. My type was also wearing out: I had to replace letters, change words, or grit my teeth and use a worn s or two. Incorporating its own destruction, already. As a cumulative piece, the sections are impressionistic. The printed words from photopolymer plates are random. The building-shaped box to house the book has a transparent window. Because I could use no pictures I hope the writing presents vivid images for the mind’s eye.

Ideation Cards:

technique: high-tech (letterpress, offset, or printmaking)

layout: random or unplanned

paper: handmade

text: self-generated

image: none

color: monochromatic

structure: innovative structure (tunnel book, magic wallet, carousel book, flag book, etc)

adjectives: textured, layered, impressionistic, transparent, ordinary or mundane

Alisa Golden writes, makes art, and teaches bookmaking and letterpress printing at California College of the Arts in the San Francisco Bay Area. She is the author of five instructional books, including Making Handmade Books, the editor of the online and print magazine, Star 82 Review, and has been making books under the imprint, never mind the press, since 1983. Her work is collected by numerous libraries across the United States.

 

to purchase any of the work in the exhibition, contact Alicia

click here to purchase print catalog