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(Ziggurat Press) The Alphabet Book … WWII. A short History of the Second World War in Two Volumes. By Walter Feldman. Providence, Rhode Island. 1996. Ring binding. Vol I – 31 leaves with color. Vol. II – 27 leaves, including seven black and white relief images by Feldman printed directly from the original blocks. 11.5″ x 14.125″. The collage pages in Volume I were printed by silkscreen and letterpress. The first volume consists of the alphabet, and the second volume contains short essays dealing with each reference. Each engraving is titled in pencil. Printed on medium heavy mouldmade Somerset. Bound in brown bookcloth with typographical design in black and purple on front cover in a ring binder. Matching brown bookcloth slipcase with alphabet in black and brown on both sides. No. 11 in an edition of 35 copies, signed by Feldman in the Introduction in Volume 1. Fine.

In the Introduction, Professor Feldman, Professor of Art at Brown University, states that it was during the summer of 1995 that this book began to take form, when he “began a series of collages that consisted of letters in a variety of fonts for the 26 letters of the alphabet. These designs are concerned not only with letter identity but also with the formal relationships of their distinctive shapes within the geometry of the circle.

“[He] worked on a list of names, places and events that would outline a kind of short history of the 2nd World War. … assisted in this search by a group of knowledgeable friends amongst whom was Professor Volker Berghahn, the noted Brown University historian.

“The point size of these words, their positions and their typefaces have no particular significance other than aesthetic and typographical. Some names are listed with military rank or other designations; others simply the name. … The dingbat arrows, circles and other shapes make reference to war maps and troop movements. The ring binding was selected in order to ensure that each page published lie absolutely flat.”

Feldman also commented that he cut “’special furniture’ in order to hold the exploding places, events, and proper names that constitute the grim history of the Second World War.”

Walter Feldman wrote of the events of the Second World War from personal experience. He served in the European Theatre of Operations in the 82nd and 83rd Infantry Divisions, as well as the Battle of the Bulge where he was seriously wounded. He was awarded 4 major battle stars, the Combat Infantry Badge, and the Purple Heart.`

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(Wolf, Anna) Chinese ‘Book of the Door God’. A unique variant collaged Artist’s Book by Anna Wolf. [Berkeley.] 1995. 26.5″ x 4.5″. The book opens to 31″ x 26″, with the small boards forming a complete surface of 24″ x 26″ with a red border on each side. Based on Hedi Kyle’s book structure, this accordion-fold book opens to reveal a three-dimensional zig-zag-like structure, exposing 84 cardboard pieces of colorful 4″ x 2″ illustrated boards, many with collages, thin red wood sticks and yellow and gold cords wrapped repeatedly round the small boards. Red Momigami paper board covers. Laid in a box of matching red paper, with two Japanese bone clasps with black ties. Separate signed colophon. Fine.

The small pieces of board are covered with reproductions of parts of long, colorful paper scrolls from China, depicting Chinese Door Gods. In Chinese New Year’s tradition, replicas of two door gods are placed near the door to serve as protectors of the house during the following year.

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(Weier, Debra) Neruda. Unique pop-up artist’s book designed and constructed by Debra Weier. Princeton Junction. NJ. 2000. 14 leaves. 12.75″ x 10″. Green, orange and brown pages with green wrappers. Title glued on with string. Pop-ups of many colors, as well as etched and letterpress printed collages. White knotted string forms part of the complex design. Laid in a strong yellow cloth dropback box with 5 strips of string on the spine. Signed and dated by Weier. Fine.

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(Wagner, Mark) Smoke in my Dreams. An artist’s book by Mark Wagner. Bird Brain Press. Delafield. Wisconsin. 1998. n.p. 6.75″ x 4.625″. Designed, letterpress printed, bound and constructed by Mark Wagner. Over 15 feet of hand drawn line, collages, cut-outs, rubber-stamping, monoprint, stenciled painting, spattering, embossing, perforation, sanding, and some hidden inserts between pages – called by Wagner triangular fore-edge text spaces; all on various colored Fabriano papers. Blue paper board covers, with title repeated in silver. Front board with illustrated oval hole cut with a jeweler’s saw, allowing the viewer to see through to the first illustration. Open sewn spine with two small tapes. No. 10 in an edition of 70 copies, rubber stamped with the number in red and ‘Mark Wagner’ in blue. Fine.

Wagner states that 67 press runs were used, and each book contains 163 pieces of paper (some only confetti-sized) including the entirety of one ‘Camel Filters’ cigarette wrapper. The first title from Wagner’s press, this is a most exciting and innovative little book. extremely well designed and thought-out, clever and amusing. Wagner received his B.F.A. from the University of Wisconsin in Madison, and now lives in New York City. In addition to writing, he produces both flat and dimensional collage for fine art and commercial purposes.

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(Thorny Devil Press) The Sydney Morning. Vols. I-IV. By Richard Tipping. Wangi Wangi. Australia. Volumes 1-IV. Each – 11.75″ x 9.25″.

Vol. I – Words Works & Ideagraphics 1967-1988. Twelve color prints on Magnani Pescia. Screenprinted by Richard Tipping and Shaw Hendry. 1989.
Vol. II – Word Works 1967-1991. Twelve black and white prints on Magnani Pescia. One in an edition of 60 copies of which the first 50 are boxed in sets with frontispiece. Letterpress printed at the Graphic Investigation Workshop of the Canberra Institute of the Arts by Richard Tipping and Les Petersen in July, 1991.
Vol III – Word Works 1979 – 1992, including works from the on-going series Roadsigned & Subvertising. Twelve prints with color on Magnani Pescia each in an edition of between 72 and 88 copies. Numbers 1 to 50 of each print are boxed in sets with signed frontispiece and end-notes. Screenprinted by Carmen Delprat and Richard Tipping in Newcastle between September and December 1992.
Vol. IV – Word Works 1993-1994. Fourteen color prints on cotton paper, each in an edition of between 80 and 92 examples. Nos. 1 – 60 of each print are boxed in sets with frontispiece and endnotes. All designs/poems/typo/graphics etc. (and hand-tearing of paper!) by Richard Tipping.

All four volumes are in blue cloth folders with blue board slipcases with titles in gilt. All prints signed and numbered by Tipping. Some with titles. No. 25 in an edition of 60 copies, the first 50 of which are boxed in sets with frontispiece. Fine.

These portfolios, with their titles, announce Richard Kelly Tipping’s subject and language use with immediacy. Using signs – road signs, company signs, billboards, etc. Tipping manipulates the context and alters their meaning. More than concrete or visual poetry, the ’spatial adjustment’ used by Tipping forces one to re-examine the use of the words and their meanings. Nearly always, his signs ask us to do or imagine something totally different to the expected. Every one of his altered signs suggests a new context – an imaginative one in which the altered not-so-different original sign is remembered for its stupidity! Tipping shows how one can transform advertising and bureaucratic space with poetry on its own terms.

The Sydney Morning (a play on the name of the Sydney morning newspaper) is complete in four volumes.

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(Thielen, Beth) Beauty Elsewhere. Four artist’s books in a structural form by Beth Thielen. [California.] 2008. Each book – 5.625″ x 4.625″. Closed structure – 5.375″ x 5.375″ x 6″. Eight original colored pencil drawings on different colored paper in each of the 4 books. Each book is bound with red cloth spine and patterned paper over boards. The books are attached at the back to the base of the box-like structure. When the lid is taken off the box the books gently fall to each side and the central red box is open to show that it is full of cut stems of rose bushes. Beneath this box is an open tray with dried rose petals. No. 1 in an edition of 3 signed copies. Fine.

“This edition of 32 colored pencil drawings has been created from observation of my roses between the years 2007 and 2008.” – Thielen.

“Petal color represented by Color-aid papers in hues and tints through violet, red, orange and yellow.” – Colophon.

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(Thielen, Beth) Katrina. Artist’s unique book by Beth Thielen. [Studio City. CA. 2007.] 13.25″ x 5.25″ x 2″. One double opening attached to cover boards. Printed in Bickley Script LET on an Epson Stylus CX4600. Papers used are Rives BFK Heavyweight Gray, Epson 47 lb. acid free, double-sided matte paper, and Black Arches Cover. Coloring is with Daniel Smith iridescent acrylic paint, Methyl cellulose paste and Tombow pencil. Bound in black linen cloth; paper title label on spine. Miniature male, female and child figures are glued on paper in rectangular built-up openings. Matching black linen box with separate lid on the side of the box. No. 1 of 1, signed by Beth Thielin. Fine.

The built-up pages below the opening create a wavelike effect and as they are each opposite to each other the top and bottom views of the book show this wave affect in a very clear way, reinforcing the huge waves of the storm, Katrina.

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(Thielen, Beth) Window of Souls: Ventana De Almas. Created at the California Institution of Women. Inmate artists in collaboration with Jonde Northcut and Beth Thielen, Artist Instructors. Frontera. California. 2000. Accordion fold. Book – 11/25′ x 8″: Case – 12.5″ x 9″ x 2.5″. The book contains 16 hand printed intaglios, signed and numbered 1/25 through 25/25 by each inmate artist. Intaglio (photo etching) prints and original writing. Opposing solarized images (tipped inserts) contain written prose from each inmate artist. Accordion fold book in gray cloth board folder with colored paste-paper sides and title label on spine. Paste papers printed by the inmate artists. In a slipcase, within a box, which, when opened, forces the book up by means of strings which are attached to both box and slipcase. Title on spine of box, which is lined with paste paper. No. 23 in an edition of 25 copies. Fine.

The intaglios, book and casing are made to museum standards using neutral ph materials.

“Our hope is to take this moment beyond current stereotyped assumptions of these women and preserve them for posterity, a future perception” – Statement on Prospectus.

Translations of the Spanish language quotes are provided at the back of the book.

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(Thielen, Beth) Crime and Poverty. Unique pop-up cut-out artist’s book designed, written and made by Beth Thielen. [California.] 1998. Accordion fold with three openings, with a 4″ x 2.75″ cut-out at each fold. 15″ x 11.5″. Made from monoprinted templates and handprinted by the artist on an Ettan etching press in various colors. 100% rag acid-free white Arches Cover paper. The two small booklets in two folds have text and are made of red, brown and green Unryu, printed from a Machintosch Performa 450. The font is 9 pt Geneva, using a StyleWriter II printer. Pop-ups on pages are hand-cut and fixed into place by the artist. Cover with etched illustrations over both boards, which are acid-free and lignin-free, with multi-color strings which tie at each side of the boards. Gray linen book cloth for the slipcase. Colophon laid in and signed by Thielen. Fine.

Another marvelous and moving work from the talented Beth Thielen, with sparse and eloquent prose which consists of short pieces about her experiences with the people she came into contact with in her position as art teacher in the California Corrections system.

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