Chet Phillips, Kaiju Man, ChetArt, 2017

 

The story of a man who was transformed after he saw a bright object hit the earth, searched and found it, and was subsequently turned into a giant as a result of this encounter. A sad, almost mythical story and told well by Chet, coupled with smart drawings and a layout that makes good use of the panoramic space of the accordion.

8 double-sided pages, individual pages 6" (h) x 4.5" (w), and when fully opened 3'.

front

back of book

Kaiju Man bites the dust

Taylor, Thomasina, An Essay on Ancient Peruvian Textiles, Ilene Books, 2013, ed. 67

A curious little booklet that explores the materials and weaves, imagery and color of ancient Peruvian textiles. On the reverse side of the accordion "...is a representation of a checkerboard composite step pattern with bat-like figures." The size of this book and the care taken in its binding, would seem to be the author's way of paying respects to the sources of this rich indigenous knowledge.

14 double-sided pages, individual pages 2.25" (h) x 2" (w), and when fully open 2' 4".

 back of the accordion

Raniero, Baston World Tour, Le Dernier Cri, Marseille, 2020, ed. 150

Another totally wild screen printed book by the Le Dernier Cri crew. This one opens up with 2 six-page foldouts on either side, with different stories taking place on the front and back, all printed in iridescent greens and yellows. What a feast, and I'm sure there's a story in their somewhere but right now I'm just enjoying the visuals!

16 pages, individual pages 7.75" (h) x 7.5" (w), and when extended 5'.

back cover

Jürgen O. Olbrich, Erased Series, Germany, 1999.

A cool 'erased' strip of tourist postcards by this German conceptual and experimental artist. This work is part of an ongoing 'erased' series, and Olbrich states that "Everyone is an Original".

10 pages, each page 3" (h) x 4" (w), when fully opened 3' 4".

back cover

Anne Michaels and Bernice Eisenstein, Correspondences, New York: Knopf, 2013.

All the reviews of this collaboration between the poet Anne Michaels and artist Bernice Eisenstein, exclaim at the beautiful production of this accordion and its renowned collaborators – and yet, after a quick search you can find copies selling for $5 on amazon!

About the production, yes, a great deal of care has been taken with the slipcover the book slides into, the chord that holds the accordion together and the general print quality of the artworks and the layout in general.

The book has two distinct sides. On opening the book the reader encounters portraits of 20th century writers and thinkers accompanied by short quotes by each individual. On the back is the poem "Correspondences" by Anna Michaels, which is a moving elegy to her deceased father. In fact, death pervades this book, the works by Eisenstein are done in a pale lifeless style and they somehow match the accompanying quotes which all attempt to convey something of the beauty and secrets of these people's lives. And Michael's poem delves deep into the death of a clearly beloved father, and her memories of him in life.

I guess I'm left with a rather curious question with this book — why the accordion format? While I understand that it presents this collaboration within a unique format, and it brings together two quite different artists' works in a workable manner. However, the book doesn't actually utilize any of the special qualities of the accordion format in any meaningful way, and frankly I think it could work just as well as a regular book!

62 pages, double-sided, individual pages 9" (h) x 6" (w), when fully opened 32'.

Jeroen Funke, Look! Netherlands, 2018, ed. 300

A curious little comic book centered around the theme of "Look." But the image on the reverse is the kicker, and it lifts the whole book into another realm altogether. 

6 pages, double-sided, individual page 5.25" (h) x 4" (w), when opened 40".

 reverse

Anna Masini, Souvenir, Milan, Italy, 2015

This is just a delightful accordion that exudes its own special glow. The mix of different printmaking techniques and the play of the work across the pages creates a unique and intimate object.

4 pages double-sided, individual pages 4" (h) x 2.75" (w), and when opened 11".

 Reverse

Scott MacLeod, Winch, Ewe, War, Her, 2020

A missive from my mate Scott out in Oakland...methinks these are photos from the estate of his mother who just passed away...creative recycling for sure!

4 pages single-sided, individual 4" (h) x 5.75" (w), when opened 23"

Katarina Burin, Confidence, Nervousness, Self-Control, Atlanta: Nexus Press, 2000

A really sweet, and smart piece, that deconstructs the meanings of women standing & sitting in different poses. The reverse side has quite a different image, one reminiscent of adolescence and the awkwardness of changing bodies.

6 pages, double-sided, individual pages 3" (h) x 2.75" (w), when opened 11.75".

Reverse side

Clemente Padin, Art Against Apartheid, photocopy, 1986

As I was rooting around my archive the other day I was a little surprised to come across this cool work by the important Uruguyan artist and activist Clemente Padin. This was a piece that Padin submitted to a mail art exhibition that I organized with Nathan Yrizarry and Bill Washburn in San Francisco in 1986 titled "Images from South Africa." As the anti-apartheid struggle intensified in South Africa the government banned the circulation of images of the struggle. This show was conceived to compensate for this lack and to offer some images of the struggle, and to show our solidarity with the anti-apartheid struggle in S. Africa. 

The show opened at Media Gallery (director, Patti Davidson) in San Francisco and then travelled to a number of venues across the country including: Zellerbach Auditorium, University of California, Berkeley, CA; Galeria de la Raza, San Francisco, CA; Survival Graphics, Madison, WI; and 320 Gallery, Santa Cruz, CA, & Grinnell College, Grinnell, IA.

Four years later the apartheid regime in South Africa had fallen, and in June 1990 I had the incredible good fortune to see Mandela and Winnie at the Oakland Coliseum where he gave an impassioned speech — this was one of the most wonderful days of my life!

12 pages, individual pages 11" (h) x 8.5" (w), single-sided and when opened 8' 6".

    The crowd during Mandela's speech at the Oakland Coliseum, June 30, 1990

photo: Stephen Perkins