R. Clarke-Davis, score: a commonplace book, 2023, and, a book of wonder: guiltily unburdened, 2023, both kiddy viddy press

 score: a commonplace book, 2023

This accordion reads like a Fluxus score with the dark embers scattered across the sands creating both visual and musical scores. The delicate paper the piece is printed on further enhances the sense of ephemerality, while the shifting horizons keep your eyes sweeping across this panorama.

9 single-sided pages, individually 5.25" x 3.75" and when fully open 2ft 11.75".

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 a book of wonder: guiltily unburdened, 2023

At the beginning of this work Clarke-Davis declares, "Avowed champion of film and all things analogue caught with numeric imaging device!," and on the next page declares that "...the imaging device resembled a leica...".  I'm assuming this means that instead of using a camera with traditional film he was now using a digital Leica camera. Either way, what follows is a photographic dérive of the outer suburbs from Manhatten interspersed with texts that suggest some kind of conspiracy on Clarke-Davis' part concluding with, "to hide his deception the images were to have been in black and white to further fool those with the authenticity of monochrome but now...the remaining time was spent between denial and justification...he refused to admit the pleasure had."

16 single-sided pages, individually 5.5" x 5.5", and when unfolded 7ft 4".

Éric Seydoux, Jissé, L'Atelier Éric Seydoux, Paris, 1988, ed. 200

front cover

Éric Seydoux (1946-2013) was a well known French artist and silkscreen printer who in his early years took courses in painting, drawing and lithography at the Art Students League of New York, and studied with the painter Dan Stacy during the time that his diplomat father was based in New York.

Returning to France he learnt screen printing and during his apprenticeship worked with well known artists such as Jean Dubuffet. By 1974 he had created his own workshop "L'Atelier" with Jack Pesant in Paris and they established an esteemed reputation and worked with a large number of contemporary artists publishing prints and books. By the 1990s Seydoux was collaborating with a roster of well known contemporary artists including, Sophie Clale, Louise Bourgeois, Ben, Paul Armand Gette, Nam June Paik and many others. 

In 2008 Seydoux was awarded the Order of Arts and Letters which recognizes "...eminent artists and writers, and people who have contributed significantly to furthering the arts in France and throughout the world". In 2023 the National Library of France devoted an exhibition in tribute to Éric Seydoux, titled "L'Atelier de Éric Seydoux: imprimeur et éditeur en sérigraphie."

The information I have about Jissé is very slim and the only concrete facts I've managed to find about him is this quote, "Jissé was part of the scene of Parisian anarcho-punks of the 70s and 80s (Pacadis, Eudeline, Michel Gondry)." [FORMES UTILES]

However, Jissé's drawing skills and his creative imagination are well represented in this uniquely compelling and outsiderish story & imagery, all of which is presented in this beautifully produced silk screen print.

If anyone has more info about Jissé please leave information in the comments section below!

7 single-sided pages, individually 7" x 4.75", and when fully open 2ft 9.25"

inside the back cover

back cover