Artwork above by Katie Amelia Baldwin
BOUND/UNBOUND: The Dialogue Between Printmaking and the Art of the Book
March 18- June 16, 2006
Free Library of Philadelphia
Curated by Robert Wuilfe
We currently find ourselves in the midst of an exciting time for printmaking and book arts in Philadelphia. Individual artists, universities, master printshops and arts organizations in this city represent the best of what is being done with these art forms today. From traditional prints and binding techniques, to sculptural installation and digital technology, artists in Philadelphia are helping to shape the new landscape of contemporary art, while also preserving the artistic traditions of the past. With its vibrant and growing artistic community, Philadelphia is poised to once again become an internationally recognized center for innovation in printmaking and book arts. This Philadelphia renaissance is only natural considering our history. After all, this is the city that gave the world Ben Franklin’s Poor Richard’s Almanack, Thomas Paine’s Common Sense, and the achievements of printmaker Dox Thrash of the WPA’s Graphic Art Workshop.
Over the centuries, prints and books have developed one of the closest relationships of any two art forms. Since the time of the first printed books, each has informed and shaped the other. With the advent of artists’ books in the twentieth century, the possibilities for experimentation were opened wide. Works of art in their own right, artists’ books take innumerable forms, defined by each individual artist. More often than not, these forms involve the use of various traditional and modern printmaking techniques.
The artwork in Bound/Unbound, much of it created specifically for the exhibition, has been selected from the wide pool of Philadelphia artists and collections. Some of the artwork will be easily recognizable as a “book” or a “print”. Other work—that which takes printmaking and the art of the book as a jumping-off point for interdisciplinary exploration—may challenge your assumptions about these art forms. In current artistic practice, the boundaries between one medium and another are less important than achieving an artist’s vision. Printmaking and book arts offer a vast array of tools for achieving this vision, whether on their own or in combination with other ways of making art. The artwork in this exhibition demonstrates the profound potential of this interaction, and the breadth of achievement by contemporary artists in Philadelphia.
The complete list of artists and print workshops in the exhibition includes:
Katie Amelia Baldwin; Ellie Brown; April Flanders; Rebecca Gilbert; Jesse Goldstein; Neila Kun; Enid Mark; Lindsey Mears; Katie Murken; Claire Owen; Caitlin Emma Perkins; Natasha Pestich; Maria G. Pisano; Diane Podolsky; Anabelle Rodriguez; Patricia M. Smith; Justin Myer Staller; Susan Viguers and James Engelbart ; Borowsky Center for Publication Arts at the University of the Arts; Silicon Gallery Fine Art Prints; plus selections from the permanent collection of the Free Library of Philadelphia.
Click on images below to advance slideshow.
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Natasha Pestich
