Another smart book from Bedford Arts published during Stephen Vincent's tenure as series editor - this was the fourth accordion to be published in this unique publishing experiment.
The book includes a useful essay by Paul C. Mills about David Park's (1911-1960) career, artistic development and his place within the San Francisco Bay Area's New Figurative style that germinates in the 1950s. Mills relates how in 1960, due to extreme back pain, Park had to give up painting and was confined to a chair or bed. Wanting to continue his work his wife purchased a set of felt-tip drawing pens and a roll of paper. This remarkable scroll, created in an unfamiliar medium, depicts memories and events from Park's childhood in Boston. Mills suggests a connection between the free and improvisational style of this drawing to Park's interest in jazz, as well as noting that Park had been a longtime jazz drummer himself. Certainly there's a refreshing spontaneity and sense of play to this 2-sided accordion as well as the perfect blending of this panoramic drawing with the accordion format.
20 pages (including cover title page), individual page size 7" x 11", fully extended 7" x 18' 4" (excluding title page: 7" x 17' 5"). |
