Hansjörg Mayer, alphabetenquadrate (alphabet squares), Edition rot #26, Stuttgart, Germany, 1966

Editors: Max Bense and Elizabeth Walter, 
52 issues, 1966-70, Stuttgart, Germany

Edition rot was an artist's periodical that explored the emerging world of concrete poetry and the broader exploration of language and its various experimental forms that were happening during this period. This issue, dedicated to the pioneering work of Hansjörg Mayer is no exception, and the play on the number of this issue, 26, is also a play on the number of letters in the alphabet but it also reflects Mayer's deep concern with language and its presentation on the flat space of the white 'square' page. Active as a poet, typographer and publisher, Mayer also designed and printed Edition rot from 1960 to 1967, as well as editing/publishing his own Futura (1956-68, 26 issues) which explored similar territory and gave each artist the freedom to publish their language works in this poster-sized periodical as they desired.

By the end of the '60s Mayer, after a 1968 retrospective of his work, made the decision to give up creating his own poetry in order to concentrate on his publishing activities. Mayer subsequently worked with a number of experimental artists in this period, a particularly creative partnership was formed with the Icelandic artist Dieter Rot, and they would push all the boundaries in their experiments in bookmaking and publishing. Of his 'poetic' work the respected historian of this genre Stephen Bann had this to say about Mayer's work, "When he (Mayer) accumulates letters on top of one another it is not to represent loss of meaning but to intensify the visual density of his chosen signs. The significance of his work lies in the fact that he used the printed letter quite simply as material." (1967)

15 pages, double-sided, individual pages 5.75" square, and when fully opened 7ft 2.25".

Each issue always has this quote from the Ernst Bloch (1885-1977)
the German Marxist philosopher that reads "there are also red secrets
 in the world, actually, only red".

Pop Up Creators Project, 9 Leporellos, UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, 2018

This is a really wonderful project in which 18 children's illustrators and comics artists from across the UK, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania were commissioned to work with groups of 16-24 year old visual artists across the same countries and to mentor them in creating their own illustrated leporello story books. As a result 150 young artists created their own books, which were then exhibited in a show titled "Pop Up Creators: An illustration exchange across the UK and Baltic Countries," at the London Book Fair's 'Baltic Countries Market Focus,' May-June, 2018. For more info see: Pop Up

This collaborative project in which young artists are mentored by an experienced professional has echoes of Roger Omar's '6dreams' project which he conceived of in 2002, in which children from assorted countries describe their dreams and an artist/illustrator turns them into accordion books. Follow this link to see some of the awesome books created: 6dreams, editor Roger Omar

Description of all the books: 6 pages, double-sided, individual pages 8" (h) x 5.5" (w), when fully opened 2ft 9".

Alise Gluskova

Diana Jarmakova

Ilze Ance Kazaka

Rebeka Lukosus

Liana Mihailova

Pauls Rietums

Tonijs Strods

Lote Vilma Vitina

Zane Zlemesa

Clifford Hunt, @ Rabia Crossing, Half Moon Bay, CA, 2020

My friend Clifford spent some time living in the Middle East, and like all of us who have spent time there it finds a special place in your heart, and you're never untouched by what happens over there. 

4 pages, double-sided, individual pages 4" (h) x 2" (w), and when fully open 8".

Květa Pacovská, Couleurs du Jour (Les Grandes Personnes) [The Big People], Editions des Grandes Personnes, Paris, France, 2010

This is just an astonishing book by this formidable Czech artist, illustrator and graphic designer known particularly for her work with children's books. And this monumental 164 page accordion with its cut-outs, cut-ins and every other way in which Pacovská has taken liberties with the pages of this book, is a wonderful testament to her legacy.

In one of the double flaps of this book is this statement by Pacovská (b. 1928):

"I choose the colors according to their sound, their own noise… Green Monday, Blue Tuesday, Orange Wednesday, Pink Thursday, Sunday has yellow ears… This is what I imagined when I was ten years old, surprised that no one others do not know the color of the days. Of course, depending on the mood, age or point of view, these colors could change...it's up to you to look at them now."

82 pages, double-sided, individual pages 5" (t) x 5" (w) and when fully opened 35ft 10".

back cover

a different angle and a different view

6dreams, editor Roger Omar, Valencia, Spain

Roger Omar has just sent me three new works in this wonderful series of accordions that illustrate dreams by children from around the world.  See this blog's posting of a whole bunch of them here: 6dreams, editor Roger Omar

This is a really beautiful and well thought out accordion project initiated in 2002 by Roger Omar, which combines a really sharp conceptual framework, matched with a fresh formal design and presentation. 

At the present time there are approximately 38 accordions in this "6dreams" series, and the underlying structure and theme of the individual accordions is so simple and beautifully complete. Individual accordions are designed by different illustrators, and they are based on 6 dreams as described by children between the ages of 8-10 years, most of them from Mexico and Spain, and presented in both Spanish and English.

The format and size is the same for all of these 5 page double-sided accordions: individual pages 8.25" (h) x 7.75" (w), and when fully open they are 38.75".

For further information about this innovative project go to: https://elmonstruodecoloresnotieneboca.wordpress.com/

#39

Title: Mujer Tarantula

Dreamers: Mexican children from Mazatlan, Sinaloa, Mexico

Illustrator: Boris Pramatarov

Date: July 2020

#40

Title: Era un Pajaro (I was a bird)

Dreamers: Children from Villava, Navarra, Spain

Illustrator: Katsiaryna Dubovik

Date: July 2020

#41

Title: Furry Black Puppy

Dreamers: Children of Lavacolla, Santiago de Compostel, Galicia, Spain

Illustrator: Sophie Nicklas

Date: July 2020