For some time I've been working on three hand-painted books––as editions: I've been making ten copies of each book, stenciled and painted as similarly as possible. For an artist whose work often seems to revolve around making the best of mistakes, that can be confounding: can one make an honest mistake ten times in a row?
Today I took the last of the folios to John Demerritt, the non-mistake-driven bookbinder in the East Bay who turns my folios into well-sewn volumes. While I'm eager to see them bound and complete, the process of repeatedly committing the same action, page after page, has been a reward in itself; it has proven to be, if not exactly therapeutic, at least compelling, and at the best of times almost spiritual, similar to repeating a mantra while meditating.
I think it might feel strange, returning to doing things just once.
(As usual, click on the image to see it in higher res.)
Today I took the last of the folios to John Demerritt, the non-mistake-driven bookbinder in the East Bay who turns my folios into well-sewn volumes. While I'm eager to see them bound and complete, the process of repeatedly committing the same action, page after page, has been a reward in itself; it has proven to be, if not exactly therapeutic, at least compelling, and at the best of times almost spiritual, similar to repeating a mantra while meditating.
I think it might feel strange, returning to doing things just once.
(As usual, click on the image to see it in higher res.)
This is quite an undertaking. Congratulations on pursuing it to the end. I once tried it and gave up after #3. Yours looks quite beautiful and has a wonderful evidence of your hand. I am sure that seeing all 10 side by side would be a wonderful experience. Thanks for posting!
ReplyDelete