The Print(ed) Word project kicked off a year ago, when Lisa Murphy-Lamb of Loft 112 and Carrie Phillips Kieser, director of Alberta Printmakers, put 12 writers and 12 artists in a room together and set them to work, in pairs, on a collaborative project.
Each artist selected by Alberta Printmakers went home with a text by one of the writers (works including poetry, fiction and short stories published by Loft 112’s small press), tasked with creating an artist book inspired by the text. The writer-artist teams could collaborate in whatever way best suited them, but one goal of the project was to plant the seeds of extraordinary new relationships where, for example, an artist who had never read poetry could be paired with a poet with limited experience in visual arts. Many of the participants wound up becoming regular visitors to each other’s studios and writing desks, learning about and supporting each other’s practices.
Artist book by Eveline Kolijn, based on the story Deep Cold on 11a by Aritha van Herk. Hear the pair talk about their work at the Salon event happening January 13 at Loft 112.
Artist book Saturday Afternoon at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede by Sally Reesman, based on text by Barb Howard.
This month, Loft 112 and Alberta Printmakers are inviting everyone to come and experience the exciting results of the project. On January 11th there is an opening where you can see all 12 of the completed artist books on display, pick up a catalogue for the exhibit, and see additional prints made by the artists.
The really exciting events, though, are the Salons. Each of these intimate events will showcase the books made by 4 of the 12 pairs of collaborators. The books will be off the walls and opened up so that you can get up close to see all the beautiful details. The writers will read from the texts they contributed, and the artists will be speaking about the books they created and sharing some insights into their process. Seats for the salons are limited; tickets can be purchased here.
Artist book My Mother Closing the Mouth of the War by Barbara Sutherland, based on the work of writer Richard Harrison (view of the book folded up).
Artist book My Mother Closing the Mouth of the War by Barbara Sutherland, based on the work of writer Richard Harrison (detail view of the open book). Hear about what the stitched lines and arrows represent at the Salon event on January 19 at Loft 112.
It’s worth noting that what you’ll be seeing aren’t illustrated versions of the original texts. An artist book is a wonderfully versatile form of art that can take many shapes and incorporate a wide variety of media, and in the case of this project, artists were instructed, simply, to read and respond to the text. With a host of well-known and accomplished Calgary artists and writers contributing to the project, the books that emerged from these collaborations will delight you in their variety.
Deep Cold on 11a, a limited edition print made by Eveline Kolijn based on the story by Aritha van Herk, will be for sale at the exhibition launch on January 11 at Loft 112.
Illustration from the artist book Saturday Afternoon at the Calgary Exhibition and Stampede by Sally Reesman, based on text by Barb Howard. Hear about their collaboration at the Salon taking place on January 19 at Loft 112.
Loft 112, 112, 535 8th Ave. SE, loft112.org
Alberta Printmakers, albertaprintmakers.com
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Text by Julya Hajnoczky; All photos by Lisa Murphy-Lamb
