McGillivray, Nora Lee – Mapping the Great Book.
(McGillivray, Nora Lee) Mapping the Great Book. Artist’s book designed and made by Nora Lee McGillivray. [Minnesota.] 2001. 8 leaves cut in half, with a semi-circular cut-out in the middle to allow space for the small star map book. 14″ x 14″ x 1.75″ closed: 28″ x 14″ x 1.75″ open. Cyanotypes printed by the sun on Masa and Arches papers. Text in Caslon type. Colors are blue and white with a little red. French Doors format, opening vertically and bound with 5-hole pamphlet stitch. The center semi-circular star map book was sewn onto tapes. Cream textured boards which open in the middle, with a cut-out recess for the star map book. Title in blue round the small open book. Laid in a protective 18.5″ x 14.5″ archival box with a lid. Cream cords with Velcro hold the book securely in place in the box. No. 1 in an edition of 20 signed copies. Fine.
Nora Lee McGillivray states: “Image, word, form and movement tell the story, guided by the reader’s hand. Ladder and Universe, both rich in idea and image, are continuing sources of delight and contemplation.”
“I was especially delighted to learn that the old astronomers – including Galileo – referred to the Universe as a Book! and that Book is a symbol for Universe. Add to that, my Ladder – reaching and connecting and being amazed at every turn!” McGillivray also feels that the Ladder is a potent image and it has fascinated her ever since she took a ladder on vacation in 1989. It connects time and space, cultures and worlds. In Mapping The Great Book, the center star maps show the night sky as we see it from our earthly point of view. … The surrounding scenes show what Ladder finds beyond our seeing and knowing. Ladder … reaches and swirls through the Universe. The text is to be read top to bottom. As the reader turns the pages up and down, random altered pairings of the scenes will surprise and skew one’s point of view.
By using the cyanotype process, the Sun is, appropriately, doing the printing. Cyanotype is an ultraviolet contact printing process that produces a white image on dark blue background or a blue image on a white background. For this book, the master for the white-on-blue text and image was created as a positive on acetate transparency, using ink, litho crayon, dry transfer, computer printout, and various papers. More significantly, images were created by drawn marks and actual objects, of all sorts, glued on glass plates. These objects and marks on glass create the shadowed images of depth and mystery. There are eleven double plates for the printing of Mapping The Great Book.
The cyanotype was invented by the astronomer, John Herschel, in 1842. Anna Atkins, photographer and botanist, was the first to use cyanotype to reproduce images of British algae. More technical details on the printing process are available! An inspired book – full of imaginative and exciting images.
Related items: Artists' Books, Catalogue 37 - Summer 2009, Nora Lee McGillivray