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The Book of Origins: A Survey of American Fine BindingNovember 8, 2007 through January 4, 2008
Jorge Luis Borges, Ficciones. Bound by Karen Hanmer. Design inspired by the theme of duality woven through Ficciones, and by Borges' reminiscence of childhood, "I used to stop for a long time in front of the tiger's cage to see him pacing back and forth. I liked his natural beauty, his black stripes and his golden stripes. And now that I am blind, one single color remains for me, and it is precisely the color of the tiger, the color yellow." Sewn on tapes laced into boards, covered in full yellow goatskin. Back pared onlays of pale yellow and black. Textured pale yellow endsheets, leather joint. Sewn endbands of black and yellow silk. Acrylic edges. 8 1/4 x 5 x 1 inches. Bound 2006.
The Book of Origins: A Survey of American Fine Binding has its genesis in an international set binding exhibition organized by Les Amis de la Reliure d'Art du Canada. The bilingual letterpress text tells the creation story of the Huron people in French and in English, through expressive typography and original lithographs. Le Livre des Origines/The Book of Origins opened at Bibliothèque Gabrielle-Roy, Quebec City, in September of 2005 and traveled to the Grande Bibliothèque of Montreal and the National Museum of Natural History, Paris, France.
The 2007 traveling exhibition features twenty contemporary fine bindings by ten American binders. The group includes established masters as well as gifted emerging artists. Two works are presented by each binder: their binding in response to the set Book of Origins text, and an additional example of their work.The binders represented in The Book of Origins: A Survey of American Fine Binding have noted that the majority of book arts exhibition opportunities in the United States are limited to nontraditional book forms. We are committed to presentation of, and education about, the art and craft of fine binding.
It is my hope that The Book of Origins: A Survey of American Fine Binding will increase the visibility of fine binding among the general public and within the Book Arts community, as well as encourage more binders to create their own exhibition opportunities.
Karen Hanmer, Curator
Book of Origins. Bound by Peter Verheyen. Text block sewn on three slips of Cave Paper brown walnut dyed paper; endpapers of Cave Paper brown walnut dyed paper; gilt top edge; sewn silk endbands; Bradel case with 1/4 veined calf vellum spine and undyed goatskin sides; slips laced through at joint; decor of codfish leather onlay and blind tooling. 8-3/4 x 5-3/4 x 1 inches. Bound 2005.
About the text
Le Livre des Origines/The Book of Origins, 2005
Huron creation myth collected in 1940s by ethnologist Marius Barbeau, this text authored by André Ricard. Text includes original the French side by side with an English translation. Graphic design by Jean Michaud and Stéphane Vallée. Five color lithographs by Carmelle Martineau, tipped in at the binders' discretion. Letterpress on Mohawk superfine, 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches, 144 pages, edition of 125.A complete description of the text and original exhibition can be viewed at ARA-Canada's Website.
The binders
Cathy Adelman
Eric Alstrom
Marlyn Bonaventure
Wilfredo Geigel
Karen Hanmer
Scott Kellar
Monique Lallier
Kaarina Tienhaara
Gerritt VanDerwerker
Peter D. VerheyenView images of each book featured in the travelling exhibition.
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