Zven Balslev & Daniel Milan, Kokt, Cult Pump/Milan Verlag, Sweden, 2019, ed. 69

A lively package of materials accompanies this graphzine with two fold-out accordions. 'Kokt' in Swedish translates as 'cooked' or 'boiled' and it's no surprise that this publication was made for a restaurant exhibition in Cophenhagen. Two quite distinct graphic styles are rather awkwardly folded together in the main book, resulting in an aesthetically ill matched and quirky combination. 

While I understand the magazine to be the 'main course' as it were, but in actuality the small little booklet with the diamond image on the front that accompanies the book, is really the 'gem' of this package. With its smart silkscreen wraparound cover, and a much more considered combination of xeroxed and silkcreened images inside, this book has a really tight and sharp feel as you peruse its 20 pages!

Book size 8" (h) x 6" (w), accompanied by 2 six page double-sided accordions 17" long and silkscreen printed. The small booklet is 5.5" (h) x 4" (w) and 20 pages. A couple of printed cards accompanied this publication.

two artists' postcards at front

 the booklet that accompanies the book

Kokt opened

back cover

Warja Lavater (1931-2007), Tell, NordSüd Verlgag AG, Zurich, Switzerland, 1962/2019

As far as I know this was the first accordion work that Lavatar published, and it was presented as a single lithographic sheet, folded accordion style. Trained as an illustrator and designer Lavatar produced accordions throughout her life from 1962 onwards, as well as working in other media. However, the date of her first artists' book is significant as it comes the same year that Etal Adnan, who only worked in the accordion book format published her first artists' accordion book. Throw in the fact that 1962 was significant because Edward Ruscha published his first artists' book that year (and his first accordion in 1966), and you have two early women book artists' occupying very significant positions at the beginning of the history of artists' books. A lot more could be said about this, but I'm going to hold back for the moment!

This book is based around the fairy tale and myth of the Swiss hero William Tell, and Lavatar uses her now famous pictograms to tell the story, a device that she continued to use throughout her artists' book output. This book is accompanied with a card in English (and French, German and Italian) that explains to the reader to the meaning of the assorted symbols. First published by the Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Single-sided, individual pages 6.25" (h) x 4.5" (w), 20 pages, and when fully opened 7' 6".

Andy Warhol, Portraits of Ingrid Bergman, Galerie Börjeson AB, Malmo, Sweden, 1983

Inspired by the recent death of Ingrid Bergman (1915-1982), Warhol collaborated with Per-Olov Börjeson, director of the Galerie Börjeson (1969-2005) to publish an accordion book featuring three new screenprints of this well known actress. The result is a stunning 40 foot long accordion, printed on thick and glossy paper that complements well the different colored versions of Bergman presented here. 

On the inside of the two book covers are quotes by Warhol, and in his typical fashion they hide more than they reveal, but they make good reading anyway...with such beauties as "my paintings never turn out the way I expect them to but I'm never surprised," and "I never wanted to be a painter. I wanted to be a tap-dancer."

Single-sided, individual pages 9" (h) x 9" (w), 54 pages, and when fully extended 40ft., 6inches.

back cover