In 2001 the Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco mounted
a show entitled Artists' Books in the
Modern Era 1870-2000. It consisted of 180 livres d'artistes from the
collection of Reva and David Logan––books by Picasso, Miró, Léger, Kokoschka,
Kitaj, Ernst, Hockney and many others.
The show was a marvel to me, an inspiration and an incentive.
I had only recently begun painting again, seriously, after
an approximately 35 year hiatus, and the exhibition encouraged me to create books both as a vehicle to re-learn painting and as a final product. For the next five
years I spent most of my studio time creating hand-painted books.
Because of my admiration for the Achenbach, it
pleases me that five of my recent titles (the only ones which I've done in edition) have now become part of the collection: Owl Soup, G. Lekeu, Coffin Laughter,
Libretto, and Golem Likes a Pretty
Face.
My appreciation for arranging this goes to Karin Breuer,
Curator in Charge at the Achenbach, and my San Francisco gallerist Jack
Fischer.
For more information about these books, please visit my prior postings:
