Earlier in 2016 I began work on a fantastic book .. a collaborative work with the New York based artist Marshall Weber. Towering Dead/Sullen Art started to take over most of the studio.
The really liberating aspect of this project was the fact that I was to add to the text block, indeed pages had been left blank or incomplete.
First was the end papers using heelball I took rubbings of the pavement and areas around Studio 5.
The end papers tied in to the text block , I wanted to create a seamless feel to the work, that all important narrative.
Type set printing and the creation of layers.
A spread.
Detail of the image above. whAT has been scored using sand paper. The paint takes to the paper in a slightly different way.
However, not all the time was spent with Towering. A wonderful miniature commission... Wines From My Garden arrived. a lino cut of tomatoes on the vine. Experimentation with different colours.
I enjoy the simple nature of the lino cut. The execution can be very quick enabling for almost a spontaneous way of working.
As the nights began to creep into the day earlier and earlier the need to concentrate on Towering began in earnest. I was in formed that the completed book needed to be ready by the middle of January 2017.
After sometime experimenting with various processes and materials a was able to make a number of artistic and design decisions. I desired texture, colour and simplicity.
Using hand letters and type formed the title out of still workable, air drying modelers clay. I wanted the text to appear to have been formed in wet cement.
The text block was sewn up and cased into the binding before any of the wet clay work was done and the before the text block was completed. This meant that I was working very much in the 3D, more of a sculpture than a book perhaps.
I find this way of working very stimulating as I am able to work directly with the text block and the binding simultaneously. To really work with the narrative of the complete book.
As the work both inside and outside the book began to take on the final form I found myself being able to fully immerse myself into the book.
What was happening on the outside being translated and some cases being almost transcribed to the inside and visa versa.
The rich tecture of the text block being echoed in the binding.
The final binding.
Detail, colour and texture all adding up.
Final art work.
In many ways I am so sad that the project has come to an end, but end it must.... because....
Wine From My Garden beckons......
