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(Carol Schwartzott) Ola Mola: The Kuna of San Blas. Artist’s book by Carol Schwartzott. [Freeville.New York. 2004.] Accordion fold. 5.25” x 7.25”. Designed and bound by Carol Schwartzott. Printed at Blacks Corner Letterpress in black, gray and red on Zerkall Text. Type faces used are Miro by P22 Type, Skia and Geometric 231. Five stitched folios contain four double pages,and include text and fourteen black and white illustrations. The folios are connected with four double fold pages. Each black fold displays a colorful, 5 layer, cut-paper illustration. The black Japanese cloth binding contains an insert of an actual Mola sample – appliquéd cloth with embroidery. Matching black slipcase with red paper title label on spine. One in an edition of 50 signed copies. Fine.

“Ola Mola introduces the history, geography, religion, customs and aesthetic of the Kuna Indians of the San Blas Archipelago, a group of some 300 islands off the coast of Panama. The Mola, a simple female garment, is fashioned out of two stitched and appliqued cloth layers front and back, with an addition of sleeves and yoke. This fabric panel will often contain historical designs representing the identity of Kuna women in sociological and ethnological ways. My book is an attempt to follow the scholarly study of the garment, from the earliest contact to recent critical feminist views.

“As an artist I tend to concentrate within the art and aesthetic areas of what I study. I collected my first Mola in 1970, and as a ‘sewer’ I have always been fascinated by their innovative and skillful construction, as well as the wonderfully simple, yet complex imagery. I wanted my little book to show their detail, the textures formed by layering and the lush and vibrant use of color. I began the illustrations by scanning fabric, then considered photographing them or using actual samples. At one point I had a wild notion of sewing
my own.

“As the project moved along many techniques were employed and discarded. Finally, I decided on cut paper. Cutting the tiny, intricate patterns would be easy for one book, but what about 50? To the rescue came my daughter Gretel, an industrial designer working in an architects office. She suggested the interesting solution of laser-cutting. So, with her dedicated help … the colored illustration became my own stylized interpretations of classic mola design.” – Schwartzott in the Prospectus.

Related items: Artists' Books, Carol Schwartzott