Iskandar Jalil, Clay Travels. Finished.

The final work..... completed.

I have enjoyed every moment.

Iskandar Jalil, Clat Travels. Box making and labels.

The box is made, recessed linings, full Buckram, 2 Tray Drop Back Box.

I suppose it is ordinary practice to title a box in order to know what is inside. I suppose. However, and this is perhaps were  I move from the ordinary practice and into my practice, that I title  perhaps in a different way. If this box were to be in a library of identical boxes then it would be an idea to title with the content. But, how to title. The point is simple, any collector of any art knows exactly were each and every piece is. They are able to glance at a box or crate, fraction of a frame or section of a plinth and know what they are looking at.

So, the title gives us an indication of what is inside, in this case what is on the box is not just an indication of what is inside it is what is inside.

Iskandar Jalil, When Clay Travels. International competitions, education and waiting.

With the doublers finished and the book allowed to rest for a while it was my intention to get on with the box. A simple affair in dark blue with a touch of special to the spine... However... things get in the way and the best of plans etc.

Some time ago, months in fact I had been asked if I would be one of three judges for an international book binding competition. One is of course flattered and I agreed. It was only after agreeing that I realised that being a judge is with its ups and downs. More of this later.. but a day went with me and my fellow judges pondering books from the resolute traditionalist to the conceptual artists/performance book. Pleasant but still hard work

The following day was spent sitting in a meeting of an education committee. Nuts and bolts time.

The box is taking shape. All will be complete in a few days time. It has been a good.

Iskandar Jalil, When Clay Travels. Doubler work.

The back doubler. A combination.

When Clay Travels is drying... Surviving Materials....

A new Artists Book, for exhibition in the Art Worlers Guild during the summer.

IskandarJalil, Clay Travels.....

Work moves from the outside of the binding to the inner boards, the Doublers, sometimes referred to as Doublures... I prefer Doublers as it is easier to type because it is a letter less than Doublures.

Edge decoration, Clay Travels with Iskandar Jalil.

A detail image of one of the edges of the boards. The edges of the text block have been coloured white, the slight movement of the sections being kept.... Texture.

Iskandar Jalil, Clay Travels and other things in the studio.

 Above, detail of one of the 4 spreads for an artists book.
Below, the 4 spreads that form the pages of the book.

Below.  Iskandar Jalil, Clay Travels. The outside of the binding is now completed. I say completed, I have to live with it for a few days to make sure.

 I have truly enjoyed working with this binding. The materials and the finished look and textures have been inspired by the books contents.

 Soil from Singapore has been incorporated into the modeling clay.

 Textures and drips.

 Now for the Doublers, there will be soils, clays, text and more drips.... I feel I am on the final stretch with this binding. I have learnt and remember so much.

Iskandar Jalil, at the end of the day... Drip Drip Drip.

Iskandar Jalil, Clay Travels... Just so Blue.

 Having spent sometime looking at the works of Jalil  I am not surprised that it is highly collectable. The more one looks, the more one sees and is able engage with the work.

Iskandar Jalil, Clay Travels

 A day for working and remembering.  Work continues on the Iskandar Jalil binding.  I know I should not say this but I am having so much fun. When at art college all those years ago I studied ceramics. I enjoyed my one afternoon a week in the pot shop as it was called. How those wonderful memories have been re-kindled.

 The light blue modeling clay has been coloured using acrylics whilst the pinkish/red has been coloured using soil from Singapore. The delicate shade hides its origin... mud.

 I am trying to evoke the work of Jalil, however he is varied in his output and with a huge raft of work it is easy to find inspiration.

 The work to the back board is not complete yet. more has to be done but the foundation is there.

Iskandar Jalil, Mud slinging.

Mud slinging.... various stages of the delicate application of that rarest of rare things... Singapore mud in SW London, to the Iskandar Jalil book. The first image is of the fine, dry mud being spooned onto the recessed area of the back board having been prepared with an adhesive before hand of course. The 2nd image is a little detail of the upper left hand corner of the board prior to the unstuck mud being brushed off with my trusty Hake brush. The final 3 images show the extreme left of the back board having had a varnish applied and allowed to drip dry..... So, for those detractors of my work who say to anyone that will listen to them... "Mark Cockram and his is work is s☟❦t ".. Well for once they may be right. LOL

Iskandar Jalil. Lazy Susan and teserea.

 I have started to use my Lazy Susan. A table top turn table used for dinner parties and the like. I enjoy the fact that I am able to turn the book this way and that, to enjoy the 3d, sculptural aspect to the work. I can see the flow of the design and how the various elements work or not as the case may be.

 Jalil worked in a number of directions. yes, there are vessels (pots) and there are the sculptural works but he also worked with plaques. I like the thought of them being pieces of a collage. I have made a number of small plaques or teserea. Each is about 2cm x 2cm... In a way I have created  lip around each board, the boards have become thin or low walled vessels themselves. Now I can begin to work on the content of the boards/vessels