Tuesday, December 28, 2021

Tydningen, #36, 2020, Sweden


A special accordion issue of this Swedish Journal of Poetry, Criticism and Theory edited by Erik Sandberg and Filip Lindberg, with featured contributors Cheena Marie Lo, Imri Sandström and Jennifer Hayashida.

On their website Tydningen is described as "...a literary journal for poetry, theory, art and critique, with a special interest in creating spaces for critical, exploratory, experimental and experimental practices within the framework of the journal format."  I say, way to go with breaking out into the accordion format and creating a new kind of space, and pages for their inquiries!!


6 pages double-sided, each 8.25" x 5.75", and when fully open 2ft 9.5".



back cover


Levi Sherman, Various Effects of Coffee on the Body, and Rich, Deep, Bittersweet, Center for Book and Paper Arts, Columbia College, Chicago, 2013.

Various Effects of Coffee on the Body, 2013


Two funky little accordions that take coffee as their subject matter and both come from Sherman's research into coffee, indeed in 2013 he traveled to Colombia "...to examine the relationship between Latin American coffee farmers and coffee consumers through photography, interviews and research." The images in both accordions of coffee laborers, were found in Chicago area coffee houses and tasting notes from coffeereview.com.

For a 2014 interview with Sherman about his work see: Featured Artist: Levi Sherman – The Columbia Chronicle

Both accordions: 8 double-sided pages, each 2"x2", and when fully opened 1ft 4".





Rich, Deep, Bittersweet, 2013







Isabella Rotman, Feel Small, This Might Hurt Studios, York, Maine, nd


A fun little accordion with a big message to bring to the world. For more of Isabella's work see: Feel Small — This Might Hurt Studios

4 double-sided pages, each 3" x 2.75", and when opened 1ft 11".


reverse side


PTT-Museum Bern, Mail Art, Switzerland, 1994


Just came across this rather unique accordion catalogue for an artists' stamp invitational exhibition of works from "longstanding participants in the Mail Art Network...", exhibited and produced by the Swiss Postal Museum in an edition of 200, and curated by H.R. Fricker, Gunther Ruch and M. Vanci Stirnemann.

4 single-sided pages, individually 12.5" x 8.75", and when fully open 2ft 1".



show explanation and curators signatures from front of the catalogue


Monday, December 27, 2021

Zhang Liang (Ray), Main Chick, Valley Cruise, 2015, ed. 100


Inspired by hip-hop icons and female pop stars, Ray is an illustrator who divides his time between Bejing and London. An avid collector of comics he sees his work as bringing together the two worlds of hip-hop and comics stating "Hip-hop and comic books might appear to be completely different genres, but they actually have a lot in common. For example, comics books often feature a main character with superpowers who struggles against a challenge. It's similar to the struggle of rappers, who will share their energy, motivation, and inspiration with the masses in their pursuit of greatness." Whatever is happening, Ray has charted a unique style and this accordion is a perfect showcase for his sexy work.

5 pages double-sided, each 8" x 5.5" and when opened 2ft 3.5".

folder for the accordion

inside the folder

first page of the accordion




reverse side



back cover


Josef Koudelka, Sledi/Vestiges 1991-2012, Galerija Jakopic Gallery, Ljubljana, Slovenia, 2014, ed. 800


A really serene and beautiful accordion catalogue that accompanied an exhibition of the same name at Galerija Jakopic Gallery in Ljubljana in 2014. Reproduced in this accordion are 20 of Koudelka's panoramic photographs from this ongoing series in which he photographs these ancient ruins, all of which are located along the coasts of the Mediterranean sea. The photographs in this catalogue are from 9 assorted countries.

20 single-sided pages, each 3.5" x 9.5" and when fully open 2ft 11".

catalogue without the white slip cover








Saturday, December 25, 2021

Anna Eckert, Once I was a Swimmer and Remember Love, galerieminimal, Naumburg, Germany, nd

Once I was a Swimmer, nd

 
I just really like the freshness of Eckert's drawing style and the way she has seamlessly woven these different images together within this water themed accordion. Of this work Eckert says it's "...a biographical work and illustrates every day scenes and competition of swimmers."

8 double-sided pages, each 5" x 3.5", and when open 2ft 4".



reverse side


back cover


Remember Love, nd


An accordion made up of quotes from famous people about love, including Tolstoy, Pablo Neruda, Joan Crawford and Nikki Giovanni amongst others. Of this book Eckert wrote "In the Remember Love zine, I respond to some love thoughts, with wild expressive, dynamic, minimalistic, monochrome aesthetic to implement my ugly calligraphy style." Way to go!

8 single-sided pages, each 5" x 3.5", and when open 2ft 4".




back cover


Mélanie Corre, Cascade, Terry Bleu publisher, Amsterdam, 2021, ed. 200


With its cool simulated 'stone' covers, and inside with its elongated landscape of similar stones on both sides of a river running down the middle of the accordion, accompanied by assorted figures and unexpected detritus popping up down its length — this according charts a journey through a totally unique landscape, one that was inspired by old panorama river maps.

For more information on this artist & illustrator see:  www.melaniecorre.com

12 double-sided pages, individually 3.5" x 9.25" and when fully opened 4ft 1".











back of accordion

back cover

publicity poster by Corre for book release party
[image from artists' website]


an example of a panorama river map, this one is from 1890 
and is a map of the Rhine River from Mainz to Cologne, 
with 3 different views depicted here.