Carles Garcia O'Dowd aka G.O'D., Closer to Heaven: A visual opera, Stranedizioni, Italy, 2018, ed. 350

front cover

This accordion is a really wild ride! Taking the popular Mallorcan resort town of Magaluf as his subject, O'Dowd, a native Mallorcan himself, packs it with real and imagined scenarios of people having a seriously good time. All sorts of activities are taking place simultaneously, which this accordion both celebrates, and critiques at the same time. O'Dowd in his artist's statement reflects on this state of affairs and the effects of the global tourist industry when he writes, "In the long run, it's establishing itself as a contemporary form of colonialism; and places like Magaluf can be found everywhere around the globe. This drawing reflects on the reality that such economical models shape, using cartoon imagery from Carles G.O.D.'s fictional cosmogony: The Rise and Fall of Eden." But, in the meantime, everyone parties on!

7 double-sided pages, each 6.5" x 11.25", and when fully open 3' 9.5".

front and back covers

inside the cover with the artist's statement in four different languages

the artist's statement

front

back

back cover

Tydningen, #36, 2020, Sweden

A special accordion issue of this Swedish Journal of Poetry, Criticism and Theory edited by Erik Sandberg and Filip Lindberg, with featured contributors Cheena Marie Lo, Imri Sandström and Jennifer Hayashida.

On their website Tydningen is described as "...a literary journal for poetry, theory, art and critique, with a special interest in creating spaces for critical, exploratory, experimental and experimental practices within the framework of the journal format."  I say, way to go with breaking out into the accordion format and creating a new kind of space, and pages for their inquiries!!

For further information about his periodical: Prenumerera | Köp lösnummer – Tydningen | tidskrift för poesi, kritik och teori

6 pages double-sided, each 8.25" x 5.75", and when fully open 2ft 9.5".

back cover

Levi Sherman, Various Effects of Coffee on the Body, and Rich, Deep, Bittersweet, Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago, 2013.

Various Effects of Coffee on the Body, 2013

Two funky little accordions that take coffee as their subject matter and both come from Sherman's research into coffee, indeed in 2013 he traveled to Colombia "...to examine the relationship between Latin American coffee farmers and coffee consumers through photography, interviews and research." The images in both accordions of coffee laborers, were found in Chicago area coffee houses and tasting notes from coffeereview.com.

For a 2014 interview with Sherman about his work see: Featured Artist: Levi Sherman – The Columbia Chronicle

Both accordions: 8 double-sided pages, each 2"x2", and when fully opened 1ft 4".

Rich, Deep, Bittersweet, 2013

Isabella Rotman, Feel Small, This Might Hurt Studios, York, Maine, nd

A fun little accordion with a big message to bring to the world. For more of Isabella's work see: Feel Small — This Might Hurt Studios

4 double-sided pages, each 3" x 2.75", and when opened 1ft 11".

reverse side

PTT-Museum Bern, Mail Art, Switzerland, 1994

Just came across this rather unique accordion catalogue for an artists' stamp invitational exhibition of works from "longstanding participants in the Mail Art Network...", exhibited and produced by the Swiss Postal Museum in an edition of 200, and curated by H.R. Fricker, Gunther Ruch and M. Vanci Stirnemann.

4 single-sided pages, individually 12.5" x 8.75", and when fully open 2ft 1".

show explanation and curators signatures from front of the catalogue

Zhang Liang (Ray), Main Chick, Valley Cruise, 2015, ed. 100

Inspired by hip-hop icons and female pop stars, Ray is an illustrator who divides his time between Bejing and London. An avid collector of comics he sees his work as bringing together the two worlds of hip-hop and comics stating "Hip-hop and comic books might appear to be completely different genres, but they actually have a lot in common. For example, comics books often feature a main character with superpowers who struggles against a challenge. It's similar to the struggle of rappers, who will share their energy, motivation, and inspiration with the masses in their pursuit of greatness." Whatever is happening, Ray has charted a unique style and this accordion is a perfect showcase for his sexy work.

5 pages double-sided, each 8" x 5.5" and when opened 2ft 3.5".

folder for the accordion

inside the folder

first page of the accordion

reverse side

back cover

Josef Koudelka, Sledi/Vestiges 1991-2012, Galerija Jakopic Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014, ed. 800

A really serene and beautiful accordion catalogue that accompanied an exhibition of the same name at Galerija Jakopic Gallery in Ljubljana in 2014. Reproduced in this accordion are 20 of Koudelka's panoramic photographs from this ongoing series in which he photographs these ancient ruins, all of which are located along the coasts of the Mediterranean sea. The photographs in this catalogue are from 9 assorted countries.

20 single-sided pages, each 3.5" x 9.5" and when fully open 2ft 11".

catalogue without the white slip cover

Anna Eckert, Once I was a Swimmer and Remember Love, galerieminimal, Naumburg, Germany, nd

Once I was a Swimmer, nd

 

I just really like the freshness of Eckert's drawing style and the way she has seamlessly woven these different images together within this water themed accordion. Of this work Eckert says it's "...a biographical work and illustrates every day scenes and competition of swimmers."

8 double-sided pages, each 5" x 3.5", and when open 2ft 4".

reverse side

back cover

Remember Love, nd

An accordion made up of quotes from famous people about love, including Tolstoy, Pablo Neruda, Joan Crawford and Nikki Giovanni amongst others. Of this book Eckert wrote "In the Remember Love zine, I respond to some love thoughts, with wild expressive, dynamic, minimalistic, monochrome aesthetic to implement my ugly calligraphy style." Way to go!

8 single-sided pages, each 5" x 3.5", and when open 2ft 4".

back cover