R. Clarke-Davis, a commonplace book: start of season end of year, kiddie viddy press, 2024

front cover

Another snake book from this peripatetic artist and it looks like the subject matter might be the shores of the Lake Michigan close to where he lives.

12 pages, individually 5.25" x 4.25 and when opened 1ft 5".

back cover

Florence Lanxuan Liu, Two Chairs & A Ladder, Dough Press, Shanghai, China, 2024

the accordion in its plastic pouch

The following is a statement put out by Dough Press about this humorous little artists' book, "Two Chairs & A Ladder is an artists’ book by Florence Lanxuan Liu. It was inspired by her journey across different cities in China, witnessing the tradition of sausage curing by various households. She believes that the ways of sausage hanging demonstrates how people intelligently utilize both private and public space, as well as mundane structures and furniture, to create a vital, functional, and temporary installation. The word “晒(shai)” in Chinese means both ‘to hang’ and ‘to exhibit’. Inspired by this wordplay, Two Chairs & A Ladder documents one of the encounters of sausage hanging with an accordion text block held by a hardcover, without any glue binding the pages together. The artist invites you to interact with the book’s structure with a creative mindset and to explore the dynamic relationship between art and everyday objects".

16 double-sided pages, indivisually 6" x 3.5", and when unfolded 4ft 8inches

front cover of the work's folder

back cover

accordion folder opened up with image of two chairs and a ladder

this print sits loose inside the folder

reverse side

Maria Mosevic, The Noctural Activities of the Mole, Sarsaparel, Czech Republic, 2013

I guess you could call this rather intriguing children's accordion book a carnet de voyage (travel notebook). Unfortunately, I have no further information about this work or its Czech artist author and the strange underground world she has depicted here.

8 double-sided pages, individually 5.5" x 8.5" and when unfolded 5ft 8"

reverse side

back cover

Peter and Maria Hoey, No Wave Girls, Coin-Op Comics, 2024, ed. 80

Coin-Op Comics is a brother a sister team with Maria based in New York and Peter in California. This silk-screened book subtitled "NYC/1979" is dedicated to the "11 women that created the music and the scene. Anya Phillips, Adele Bertei, Beth B., Nancy Arlen, Ikue Mori, Pat Place, Lizzy Mercier Descloux, Sally Young, Jacqui Ham, Nina Canal, and Lydia Lunch. [Source photo credit for Arlen, Mori, and Lunch: Julia Gorton]".

6 single-sided pages, individually 7.5" x 5.5", and when unfolded 2ft 9"

back cover

Stephen Hilger, In the Alley, Purple Martin Press, New York, 2023

cover

A really nicely produced publication that comes with a booklet containing an essay by Matthew Specktor and a transcription of an interview between James Welling and Stephen Hilger. The book is comprised of two-page spreads of individual photographs that were taken in the alleys and alleyways of Los Angeles. The photographs have a kind of random feel in both their subject matter and style of framing and the book itself feels like an anthropological survey with the photographs providing the slightly dour documentary evidence.

In the booklet's interview with Hilger he reveals something of the unanticipated manner in which this project had its beginnings and how it evolved.

"I made photographs in the alleys only after photographing in my aging grandmother’s house for many years. I created a portrait of her through the subtle changes visible in the rooms of her house and garden. When she passed away, I lost the motivation to photograph inside her home. So I went out the back gate and found myself in the alley. I started walking up and down alleys, photographing as an act of mourning. It took me some time to realize that in doing this I was looking at something more systemic and sociological—controlled spaces designed for the security and maintenance of the wealthy."

46 single-sided pages, individually 6.75" x 9.5", and when unfolded 36ft 5"

pocket with essay and interview on left, and front page of work

back cover

Lauren Emertiz, Corita Rules!, Abstract Orange, Washington DC, 2022

This work was inspired by the life and work of Corita Kent (1918-1986) who was an artist, designer, educator, former religious sister and fighter for social justice. This letterpress accordion with its exhortations to move forward and persist, comes with a subtle subtext printed across its pages that reads "Power Up" in homage to Sister Corita's 1965 series of the same name. 

8 single-sided pages, individually 7" x 5.25", and when unfolded 3ft 6"

inside back cover signature

back cover

Goshuincho book, Japan, nd

                      

I've only recently discovered the rich world of Japanese pilgrimage stamp books! Many Japanese shrines offer visitors and pilgrims stamps (goshuin) that are handwritten or stamped by monks directly into your accordion stamp book (goshuincho). Obviously, there's a lot more to it than that so here's a good source for finding out more: What is a Goshuin? All about traditional Japanese shrine seals | Stripes Okinawa

22 single-sided pages, individually 7" x 4.5", and unfolded 8ft 3"

only 13 pages of this goshuincho's 22 pages have stamps on them