Mirel Fraga, Bosque Tropical (Tropical Forest), Polvoh Press, Oaxaca, Mexico, 2022, 2nd edition

This is a beautiful and wonderfully vibrant screenprinted accordion from this artist based in Oaxaca, Mexico. Fraga has worked as a designer and illustrator, coupled with textile, editorial and graphic design projects, as well as having worked at a number of important cultural institutions in Oaxaca City and the surrounding area. She's also been influenced by her time working in an artisan workshop in the village of San Martin Tilcajete, famous for its multicolored and carved wooden alebrijes. Fraga says she was influenced by these artisans' use of color, saying "you can see it in my work: in the shapes, the colors, and in certain psychedelic elements, because I think they (the alebrijes artists) have a psychedelic side." Fraga is also the co-founder of Polvoh Press based in Oaxaca City. [Powder Press]

Here's a link to an interesting article about Fraga that gives an excellent account of her background, artistic interests, as well as her thoughts about color and its importance for her and her art: The Many Colors of Mirel Fraga | Hecho a Mano

6 double-sided pages, individually 6" x 8.25", and when fully opened 39" (including title fold)

reverse side

back cover

Alfred Mason Amadon, M.D., The Fold-Out Atlas of the Human Body, Bonanza Books, New York, reprint 1984/1906.

In my recent researches into all things accordion and folded, I stumbled across the genre of anatomical flap books, also known as fold-out books. Variously described as virtual autopsies or knife-less dissections, books using flaps make their first appearance in the late 16th century with a flap book of Euclid's Elements of Geometry (1570), and in the medical field in 1583 with a flap book on the eye. In the latter part of the 1800s medical flap books became especially popular and by 1900 all sorts of flap-books were being published in Europe and North America. 

This particular book is a reproduction of its original 1906 edition. As you can see they're really quite extraordinary publications with fascinating layers of flaps revealing the deeper recesses of the human body. They would also appear to be quite labor intensive publications and I'm sure the $3 I paid for this one on Amazon is not truly reflective of all the delicate work needed in its construction!

For a particularly interesting text about the history, development and uses of flap books and fold-outs see Simone Schlepers' 2014, article "Knife-less Dissection: Functions of fold-outs in 19th century anatomical culture," at: ‘Knife-less’ Dissection: Functions of fold-outs in 19th century anatomical culture – Shells and Pebbles

The Getty has just posted a cool video about flap books, here's the link: Video: Flesh and Bones Flap Book | Getty News