Mars Tokyo, Psychedelic Faces, 2015

A funky and vibrant little artists' book from the Baltimore-based Mars Tokyo. With its corrugated cover and faux Ray Johnson bunny on the front to its inside strip of beautifully drawn psychedelic faces that pop out like a gallery show on steroids this tiny book packs a big punch!

Individual pages 1 5/8" x 2". 10 pages, fully extended at 1' 8".  

Loris Lora, Eventually Everything Connects, London: Nobrow Press, 2014.

Another cool addition to the Nobrow leporello series. This book's theme comes from Loris Lora's earlier project that "...started while attending the Art Center (Pasadena), which highlights the relationships and connections of creatives during a very innovative and exciting time period of design." The accompanying poster/booklet spells out all the different ways in which the figures in the accordion's assorted scenarios were connected to each other within this new architectural & design moment. Prominently displayed across the back of the poster/booklet is a quote from the design guru of this period, Charles Eames, "Eventually everything connects - people, ideas, objects... The quality of the connections is the key to quality per se." 

Single pages 13.25" (height) x 7.75" (width). 20 pages, and fully extended at 6' 5.5".

BMB CON, #11 Shhhhh, Den Haag: Stroom, Netherlands, 2009, ed. 1000

This is a curious accordion publication that I found in the 'sale' section at the book store in the Walker Art Center, Minneapolis. On the inside flap BMB con, is described as being "...founded by Justin Bennett, Roelf Toxopeus and Wikke't Hooft in 1989. Since 2006 BMB con. consists of a core duo working together with a changing group in invited artists/performers." The BMB con periodical appears to have taken different shapes over the years including audiocassettes, mini cds and regular cds. This particular issue would seem to be an anomaly with its printed matter format. 

One side of this well-produced accordion is taken up with color photos of what look like sound producing instruments accompanied with instruments for recording sound. The back is made up of texts with recurring themes of sound, music, performative instructions, and tucked into all this text the real giveaway piece that situates all these pieces within one of the larger themes of the piece a take-off of Cage's well known work, "4'33" ticking away Atlas Sirius Eslipicales, Inlets (faithfully blub bulb)."  For more info about this interesting project see: bmbcon.org

Single pages 9" x 6.5", all 16 pages fully extended 8' 8".