Clifford Hunt, From the North, collage, 2019

Clifford Hunt is really working it with this latest accordion. It's a cool melange of fragments of images sensitively collaged to create new readings. One clue to deeper themes is a small portion of a map of the northern part of Scotland incorporated into the reverse side, and I know Clifford recently visited Scotland and was powerfully effected by the landscape.

8 pages, double-sided, individual pages 2.5" (H) x 3" (L), when fully opened 24".

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Carol Emmons, Some Times..., digital print, 2013

In 2013 I lost my wife, Arda Ishkhanian, in a car accident in Egypt. Carol Emmons is an artist, a friend and was a longtime colleague in the art department at the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay where we both worked. This understated accordion says it all.

4 pages, single sided, individual pages 3.75" (h) by 3.5" (w) and when opened 14".

Scott MacLeod, Hem and Maul, photographic negatives, Oakland, 2019, ed. 1

Two rather unique accordions constructed out of old photographic negatives by this multi-media artist from Oakland. Hem doesn't easily give away its secrets as it's kind of hard to read what the image is.  The text in Maul is also hard to read but would seem to revolve around waiting for a train that might or might not arrive.

Hem

4 pages, each page 3 3/4" (h) x 2 3/4" (w) when opened 11"

Maul

16 pages, each page 1 1/2" (h) x 1 1/4" (w), when opened 20"

Nicolò Degiorgis, La Laguna di Venezia (The Venice Lagoon), Rorhof: Bolzano-Boze (Italy), 2014, ed. 500

Degiorgis is a documentary photographer who runs the Rorhof publishing house with his partner Michele, and the following is their statement for this quite subtle and understated accordion book of 22 postcards of photographs of "The Venice Lagoon".

The city of Venice was founded in the 5th century and spread over 118 small islands. It is worldwide-known for its blend of historical palaces, bridges, squares and local artisan shops. At the far ends of the city one can chance upon a different world ruled by seawater, strands, animals and plants. All together they constitute a unique and fragile ecosystem which past industrial developments and current increase of tourism are seriously putting at risk. Venice and its Lagoon – one of the biggest and most important in the Mediterranean – was declared world heritage site by UNESCO and still remains off touristic routes. Uninhabited islands, small watercrafts, piers, harbours and fishing infrastructures merge with the natural environment and extreme conditions man has to face in this very special place. With this project Nicolò Degiorgis aimes to pay homage to the city of Venice and draw our attention towards its controversies.

Individual cards 3 1/2" (h) x 5 1/2" (w), when fully opened 10 feet 1".

Miriam Schapiro (1923-2015), Rondo, Bedford Arts, San Francisco, 1989, ed. 80

An interesting, and in my opinion a rather uneven accordion book from this ground-breaking feminist artist who, together with Judy Chicago, founded the first feminist art program at the California Institute of Arts in 1971. The next year they would go on to co-direct Womanhouse, an early and very important installation of work by 28 women artists.

Of this book Schapiro writes in the colophon:  

For RONDO I created a series of dancers who move in a nospace on a nostage against a painted background or backdrop. When the accordion-pleated book is opened to its full extent, all the dancers move out on the first twelve panels. On the return side, I collaged images on a flat plane. Imaginary bouquets, hearts that throb, masks, fans and kimonos are still—not in motion—as if the dancers on the front had caught themselves concentrating on one thought, one image.

14 pages, double-sided, individual pages 12" (h) x 9" (w), when fully open 10 feet 6 inches.

Endnote: for such a beautifully printed accordion as this one, and printed in such a small edition with work by this well known artist, it's rather surprising (if not a bit depressing) to find copies of it for sale on amazon at $5.98!

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