R. Clarke-Davis, A Book of Wander: Ebb (2019) & A Book of Wander: 16 Hours in San Francisco..., (2015-2020), Kiddy Viddy Press

A Book of Wander: Ebb, Kiddy Viddy Press, 2019

I was sitting in my living room the other week when I heard something drop through the mail box. Since the mailman had already been I assumed it was some kind of business or political propaganda. Well, it was neither, and instead it was another mystery drop from R. Clarke-Davis, who I now have come to consider as an 'itinerant' photographer, both in his photographic practice, and his mode of distribution of his works. 

These two photo-books illustrate well the 'itinerant' theme as both are products of travel to different locales, and they function somewhat like family albums with their own private grammar. However, travel and movement combined with moments of visual pleasure are really what seems to be animating these photo-book diaries and travelogues.  

What is particularly interesting about these two books is that they don't neatly fall into the category of 'accordion.' They certainly contain some features of the accordion, but the way they are folded creates other kinds of viewing modes. I'm sure there's a word for this combination of folds, but I have no idea what that might be! Either way, they are intriguing hybrids of the accordion format, combined with other folded variations.

Both publications: 16 pages, double-sided, individual pages 5.25" x 4.25." When fully unfolded the sheet of paper is 10" x 17" with three cuts. 

back cover

_______________________________________________________

A Book of Wander: 16 Hours in San Francisco, SOMA Tenderloin Presidio, 

Too Much Beer, Too Little Orange Juice, Kiddy Viddy Press, 2015-2020

back cover

Alan Turner (1943-2020), Marked Woods, Lapp Princess Press, New York, 1981

A rather curious accordion by this artist who was once described as an 'artist of the evocative and the odd.'  This work is tied to an early series of brightly colored landscape paintings that got Turner noticed at the beginning of his career. Some pages of this accordion would appear to be sketches for a number of works in his 'Marked Woods' series of paintings, and their dates are the same as the accordion.

Known later for his oddly surreal and weird paintings where different body parts occupy the same space and in the process creating a strange viewing experience.

Here's a rather interesting arty anecdote: Turner was studying for his MA at the University of California at Berkley, and one of his teachers there was David Hockney, and when Turner got his draft notice Hockney offered him the use of a flat in London so he could wait it out. Turner subsequently spent a couple of years in London until it was safe to return to the  USA.

A big thanks to John Held Jr., for donating this accordion to the collection! For another accordion in this series (16 in all) see Chuck Close's "Keith/Six Drawings": accordion publications:

8 pages, single-sided, individual 6" x 6", and when fully opened 4ft in length.

back cover