exhibits and represents artists working in the field of artists' books and prints. |
910 Santa Fe #15, Denver, Colorado, USA upstairs in the 910 Arts Complexin Denver's Art District on Santa Fe720.230.4566 • alicia (at) abecedariangallery.comOpen by appointment |
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| Lise Melhorn-Boe, Endangered Melhorn-Boe creates artist’s books dealing with political, environmental, gender- and health-related issues. She works with her own, and other women’s stories, using the texts as a springboard for inventive book objects. " For many years we humans have been discovering, inventing and introducing new materials, technologies and products into our environment. Many of them are amazing, useful and life-enhancing, but many of them are also toxic or hazardous to our health. Endangered is an exhibition consisting of a series of limited edition artist’s books which examine various aspects of our lives -- where and how we live, what we eat, what we get rid of, how we bring up our children. Using a light-hearted visual esthetic, books such as Home Sweet Home and What’s for Lunch? bring difficult issues to our attention. References to children’s books, pop-ups, attractive colours, appealing fabrics and familiar objects, such as diapers and babies’ onesies, paper dolls and doll houses, are the sugar-coating for a nasty pill to swallow." About Lise Melhorn-Boe: Lise Melhorn-Boe has been making and exhibiting books and sculptural bookworks for over twenty-five years. She has exhibited widely across Canada and the United States as well as Europe and South America and her work is in several public collections. |
Breast Cancer Journal 
© 2010, 48 pages 4¾ x 3½, edition of 50 $75 The paintings and drawings colour-photocopied in Breast Cancer Journal were painted over a period of six years in a small sketchbook. There is very little text: the images represent real life occurances and images brought to mind during meditation. Body Map 
© 2009, 7 pages. (8½ x 8¼ x ½, edition of 50 $200 A large image (opens to 40 inches) of the artist‘s body is superimposed with hand-printed text about her environmental life history. Background text relates her personal experience with more general info. Giclée-printed by Nick Dubecki. 
Gypsy Moth 
© 2007, 5 pages, 8 3/4 x 6 3/8 x 1½, edition of 10 $600 Carol was accidentally aerially sprayed with a pesticide designed to kill Gypsy Moths. This Star Carrousel book describes her difficult recovery. 
Homeless 
© 2008, 15 pages, 7 x 7 x 1 1/4, edition of 7 $400 Images of the houses on the artist‘s block are sewn onto handmade paper in the form of a traditional quilt pattern named Happy House. The text deals with the artist‘s experience when her house was making her sick, and she had to move out. 
Mind Over Matter 
© 2010, 12 pages, 11 3/4 x 9 x 1 3/4, edition of 12. $500 Watercolours painted in the fall of 2007 reflect the artist‘s experience when her house was making her sick: the images portray a journey from despondency to a joyful wellness, as the artist tried to visualize herself better. Giclée-printed by Nick Dubecki on watercolour paper. 
More Garbage 
© 2010, 14 pages, 12 x 8 x 3, edition of 12 $400 Pages made of garbage from the artist’s life (worn-out t-shirts and socks, studio left-overs) and the street (mitts and gloves revealed by the melting snow in the spring) are sewn on tapes (straps from worn-out knapsacks, electrical cords etc.) and bound in clementine box covers carry text about the effects of garbage on our lives. 
No Safe Levels 
© 2006, 1 page, 9 ⅞ x 6 ⅞ x 1, State II, edition of 3 $150 Northern Ontario highways are lined with rock cuts, sometimes covered with graffiti. This pop-up rock cut morphs into the artist’s scarred body. Photocopied on acid-free paper. PAIN 
© 2007, 6 pop-up spreads, 10 ½ x 7 ½ x 2, edition of 10 $750 The text in this abstract pop-up book, from poet Diane Dawber’s book “Lifting the Bull: Overcoming Chronic Back Pain, Fibromyalgia and Environmental Illness”, describes four kinds of pain. 
Toxic Kids 
© 2009, 9 pages, 11 x 8 ½, edition of 50 $50 This paper doll book contains photocopies of lovely hand-drawn doll clothes found at a flea market, with text about toxins in the environment that adversely affect children. 
What’s For Lunch? 
© 2011, 5 spreads, 8 x 7 x ½, open edition $400 A fun faux children‘s pop-up book about more (yes! more) toxins in our food. Colour photocopied from hand-painted and collaged illustrations, with a bouncy poem as text. |