The books from two recent fine binding competitions have recently been posted online.
First, the prize winners of the Designer Bookbinders International Competition 2009,
Second, the works handed in for the Bel Libri 2009 competition at the Center for the Book in Ascona, Switzerland.
Thanks to Tulibri for the links!
(Binding by Jenni Gray, 2nd prize winner in the Designer Binders competition)
When I moved up to Salt Lake City, a few of my new friends were “besmitten” (I think that’s the word Vivian used) when they first learned that my roommate Kohleen and I are both book conservators and bookbinders. I had been invited to teach a sewn board structure at BYU as a guest instructor, so I invited my new friends to come along for the demonstration. A few days later we got together for a bookbinding dinner party. It took us two sessions (spaced a couple months apart, whoops!) to finish, but here are the final books!
I had thrown together a text block for each of the girls. When I make this structure, I like to wrap each section in some kind of special paper, since the spine is exposed–I think it makes the book extra lovely. :)
The book pictured below was the one I sewed for the demonstration. The marbled papers are my own (I made them).
Kohleen put this text block together with her own paste papers and a cave paper cover:
Kathryn made this one: I’m not sure what the cover is–it’s just some nice heavy artist grade paper. The sections are wrapped in my own recycled papers that I made when I was probably 16 or 17 years old–it was nice to put them to use!
Shannon sewed this one up. The cover and insides are my recycled papers again.
There are two more books whose binders couldn’t make it to the 2nd binding session. I’ll try to get photos of the last two when they’re finished.
I’ve finally begun an experiment I’ve wanted to try for some time: I’ve opened up an Etsy shop and listed some of my handbound books online. You may recognize some of the books from my portfolio. They’re lovely little books, and I hope that someone out there likes them!
As I approach this collaboration between Liverpool and Utah-based artists, I can’t help but consider the connections between the two places and their people.
In the 19th century, millions of emigrants left England through Liverpool to go West–including some of my own LDS ancestors who eventually settled in Utah.
Utah and the British Isles are the two parts of the world most familiar to me, and they are the two places I can comfortably call home. Having returned recently from living in the English countryside, the two places naturally juxtapose themselves in my mind. When I am in England, I often find myself missing Utah, and vice versa. This fold-out book is a visual exploration of the relationship between the two places I call home.
