03.29.08
What do I do?
My camera is in London – with Emilie ad Grandma who are visiting Anna Sofie.
In other words I can tell you – but not show you – what I’m doing this weekend. It would be nice to illustrate though, as it looks quite well: I have in front of me a table full of Artists´ Books, to be packed for Seongnam Book Art Fair. I’m a little late as I have waited for some of my central works to return from Stampington US. The sender is not to blame – it’s the Danish costumers authorities that caused the delay! Three (3!) times I have had to document that the stuff was nothing I imported, on the contrary, it was my own creations returning back home after having been abroad… It has taken almost a month to get the message through, believe me! And I was next to ready to offer to actually pay import tax – to get my stuff back in time to pass on for Korea! And one book is still missing. I beg it turns up within the next couple of weeks then I can still bring it to Korea – in my suitcase!
What else takes my time this weekend? Well, I have almost got squared eyes sitting in frontof my pc writing an article on Artists´ Books at the Danish version of Wikipeda as, till now, there hasn’t been such an article. Preparing for Seongnam really makes me reflect upon the situation of Artists´ Books here in Denmark/ Scandinavia and I’m sad to say it, but Artists´ Books is really not a big issue here. It´s very strange especially seen in the light of the enormous interest the genre has when you look at American, Australian, New Zealand and British arts and crafts blogs and sites. However, I love the concept of Artists books, the vitality, originality, flexibility, and the possibilities for interaction between the artist, the actual work of art and the audience and I have a wish to contribute make Artists´ Books a more well-known phenomenon here in my part of the world. I guess that’s why I spend half the night figuring out how to get access to write not to mention to upload images to (Danish version of) Wikipedia. You may see the results of my efforts here and here. The articles are not yet complete, so I´ll welcome any additions, links and ideas! Please feel free to add your point of view! (Ja, det er jo nok mest relevant hvis du taler/skriver på dansk…)
So finally, let´s have a short comment on today’s images: a sneak peak at my article on my Compass Book in the April/May issue of Somerset Memories. Fortunately I made a few shots the day it hit my mailbox together with Somerset Life and Workshop. So I have at least a little something to show you the next days while my camera is doing London.
03.26.08
Somerset Life + Memories + Workshop
Today I was – threefold – blessed with these magazines from Stampington.
I have made articles for all them – the biggest effort has been the chapter for the Workshop issue so of course I was a bit anxious to see the result. And I do feel blessed. I’m so totally satisfied with how it has turned out!!!
The issue has four chapters – or workshops: The Magic of Papier Maché by Julie Bergman, Found Images Paint Overs by Lisa Bebi, Mummified Objects & Sealed Letters that´s my workshop featuring treatments and assemblies with paper and fabric – and finally a workshop called Many Ways With Metal made by a group of artists: Gail Jacobsen, Stephanie Lee and LK Ludwig.
All artists show examples of their work and explain the involved techniques in details and the explanations are accompanied by careful step-by-step illustrations. The idea is of course to inspire and encourage others to try out some of the ideas themselves. It’s like enrolling into an art course or class – only a class that takes place in your own home. Just give yourself a few hours, gather your supplies, flip through Workshop and see what happens…
03.23.08
Easter Sunday
Ready for Easter lunch – and afterwards a visit at Aros to see Shirin Nesat´s film opus Women Without Men.
03.16.08
Weekend
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Yesterday I finished this one-of-a-kind Art Book.
It is a gift for Seongnam City and Cultural Foundation that is hosting the Art Book Fair. All invited artists have been asked to create one work. I have made mine from a small children’s harmonium book, that I have turned it into a mixture between a pop-up-book and sort of list of (some of) the multiplicity and variety I expect to find in Seongnam: City of art, architecture, authors, autos, birds, babies, bacillus, bags, balance, balls, bakeries, ballrooms, banks, barbershops, bikes. etc, etc. I’m quite satisfied with the result – and increasingly excited to see the works of my fellow artists. In one month I’m going!
Yesterday was a busy day. After finishing my book I went to Silkeborg to the opening of the Easter-exhibition in Kulturspinderiet. I only knew one of the other artists in advance, but it was nice to see her really good looking, bright and colourful after very long time where we haven’t met.
Okay, maybe the standard of the exhibition was a bit uneven, but that’s what happens sometimes, especially when very different artists are selected for a gathering like this. I can’t complain though, I was very satisfied with “my wall” – and the response I got! There was a lot of visitors, wine, music and a nice atmosphere.
Today is a cleaning-and-preparing-day. Guess who’s coming home from London tomorrow…
03.12.08
Step-by-step-by-step-by
Sometimes it feels like work’s hardly developing, progress is measured in the scale of mouse steps. I try not to despair, knowing the process is as important as any result… (Somehow easier to say than to actually live!)
By the way: See you Saturday at Silkeborgudstillingen at Kulturspinderiet!
03.08.08
Memory
Memory for Rabbits – another work of mine I plan to bring to Seongnam Book Art Fair. The piece was originally made for the 4th Artists´ Book Triennal in Vilnius. It´s one of my own favorites so it´s obviously on the list.
It’s based upon the concept of the children’s game where you have to remember where you place specific images in order to “pair “them two and two. Sounds simple – but it’s not always that easy.
In real life it’s even worse to create a sertain structure as sometimes you haven’t even got a clue what you’re looking or longing for or just trying to remember. Life isn’t a well organised setup where the pieces of the puzzle just fall into place. You have to sometimes make up your own rules in order to deal with the circumstances. I’ve tried to illustrate this by making a collection of entirely single images and statements. Put together it becomes a sort of record or life story. The box contains the images – organized in sections. It can be seen as a parallel to the way a written biography is organized in chapters describing different episodes and events – and the way we try to keep our memories in mind.
03.02.08
Key Story
In less than two months I’m going to Korea, invited by the Korean Bookarts Association, to display examples of my Artists´Books at the Seongnam International Bookarts Fair. Another 4-5 international artists are invited – and of course a lot of Korean Artists!
I feel very honoured – and exited! I have never been to Asia before. Well, yes I have, but it was to the absolutely west most part of Asia: the eastern provinces of Anatolia, Turkey, many ears ago… My impression then was of a very poor and rural area, very, very inflicted by the Turkish-Kurdish conflict.
This is going to be different. South Korea is one of the world’s technology and scientifically advanced and urbanized countries. I can’t wait to see how high-tech-Korea will meet low-key-me – and visa versa!
But first I have things to do. Most important: What works do I want to bring? I’ve been reviewing all possibilities; still it’s hard to decide. I can bring 8 – 15 works + editions. I take the maximum of 15 books – also because almost all my works are the one-of-a-kind sort. (I usually don’t do editions; I have one or two exceptions though. I’ll show you later.)
The images above are from a short story about the lifecycle and family structure of a key. It’s one of the pieces I have decided to bring along.
