A SERIES OF SIX ARTISTS’ BOOKS, 2000–2001
1/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
This morning I went into the garden
2000
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with watercolour and pencil on recycled 200gsm paper, with jewellers tissue 70gsm paper, 13.5cm X 15.5cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in three different tones of emu leather by Peter Stewart-Warmington, with coloured leatherettes on cover
Edition of 10
Launched
From our home in North Fitzroy
Sometime in the year 2000
This is the beginning of it all.
The small and varied leatherettes which feature on the cover of all ten in this edition were found in a secondhand bookstore in New Zealand and were, in strange way, the original inspiration behind this series of artists’ books. The leatherettes had been designed to be adhered to lamp shades and cigarette boxes and gowns; or, in our case, small books. The leatherettes ranged from golden elephants through to inky-hued rabbits and blue hens.
The artists’ books in this edition are covered in black, ochre and cherry-red emu leather, selected for the delicious peck marks and imperfections visible across the surface.
This book was exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002), Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna, and the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW.
Editions of this book are in the collections of State Library Victoria, and RMIT Library.
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RELATED LINK,
AN INTRODUCTION IN BOOK ARTS NEWSLETTER (2007)
RELATED POSTS,
IN RESPONSE
Q & A
2/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
Nao falo Portuguese
2000
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with watercolour and pencil on Magnani PESCIA 2021/P 100% cotton 300gsm paper, with Japanese lace 25gsm paper and coloured tracing 80gsm paper, 13cm X 21cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in vintage fabrics by Peter Stewart-Warmington
Edition of 10
Launched
Portuguese Consulate, 846 Toorak Road, Hawthorn East
Wednesday 7th of February, 2001
With thanks to the generosity and kindness of Dr. Carlos Pereira de Lemos, the artists’ book, Nao falo Portuguese, was launched at the Portuguese Consulate, Toorak Road, Hawthorn East (from his lounge room).
Each cover from this edition of ten varied, sometimes slightly, sometimes a great deal. Some came in patterned green silk with an indigo section running along the spine whilst others were bound using a heavy-weight linen littered with large ochre-hued blooms. The title for this book loosely translates as “I don’t speak Portuguese”, and sadly, to this day, neither of us do.
It was later exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002) Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna, and the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW.
Editions of this book are in the collections of State Library Victoria, Monash University Library, and RMIT Library.
3/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
The ermines tea party — One weekend
2001
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with watercolour, pencil and glitter on magnani cotton 300gsm paper, with 5–6 loose tracing paper envelopes with various contents,
19cm X 19cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in canvas by Peter Stewart-Warmington, with ink drawing on the cover by the artists’
Edition of 10
Launched
Guy May Bonsai, 222 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy
Thursday 26th of July, 2001
The ermines tea party — One weekend is a loose summary of all things to do with the weekend. Family and friends sent postcards, coasters, ticket stubs and restaurant receipts from their weekend travels, all of which feature between the pages of this book inside square envelopes.
With contributions from
Shannon Bracken; Georgia Cribb; Sarah Davison; Lucy and Tom Doran; Melissa Doran; Peter Ellis; Michael and Mary Gray; Elaine and Peter Haby; Zoe Hogg; Wendy Hutchinson; Kylie, Anthony and Lily Hellier; Hilary Jellet; Peter le Hane; Susan and John Jennison; Gordon Jennison and Emma Winterburn; Clarissa MacDonald; Maggie McCormick; Euan McGillivray and Ann Hurley and Mary McGillivray-Hurley; Katie McLorinan; Sue Milne; Bernice Morris; Catherine Schneider and Robert Beswick; Carroll Schneider; Louise Weaver
This book was exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002), Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna, and the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW. In addition, it appeared alongside other artists' books in the the permanent, ever-changing exhibition Mirror of the World: Books & Ideas at the State Library Victoria, 2006–2007.
Editions of this book are in the collections of State Library Victoria, and RMIT Library.
“The exhibition showcases many of the rare, beautiful and historically significant books held in the Library’s collections. Located in the galleries overlooking the magnificent La Trobe Reading Room, this exhibition celebrates the unique place of books in our hearts and minds. Mirror of the world provides an overview of the history of book production, design and illustration, with a display of fine examples from the Library’s collections dating from the Middle Ages to the present day.
The exhibition’s title is taken from William Caxton’s Myrrour of the worlde (1490), one of the first illustrated books published in England. The exhibition is divided into five major themes:
‘Books and ideas’, which outlines the early history of books and printing
‘The book and the imagination’, which looks at the way books and texts are imaginatively created, while at the same time acting imaginatively upon us
‘Exploring the world’, which investigates how books have been used to explore and document the world including, its landscape, topography, inhabitants, flora and fauna
‘Art and nature’, which looks at how botanical illustrations unite the scientific and artistic worlds
‘The artist and the book’, which highlights the art of the book and the role of the artist in its production”
4/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
The Kingdom of the Blue Poppy — as made for Sinclare
2001
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with watercolour, pencil and glitter on Magnani cotton 300gsm paper,
6cm X 8cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in silk by Peter Stewart-Warmington, with a magnifying lens by Herbert Groiss on a strand of glass beads
Edition of 10
Launched
Guy May Bonsai, 222 St Georges Road, North Fitzroy
Thursday 26th of July, 2001
The Kingdom of the Blue Poppy — as made for Sinclare, is our smallest artists’ book to date and was launched alongside The ermines tea party — One weekend, our largest book, at a small bonsai nursery in North Fitzroy. Inside its pages you will find a colony of nesting flamingos, a colossal octopus, various corals, and even the mermaid of Gollerus. The somewhat artificial Kingdom of the Blue Poppy whilst small in size is actually very crowded. (The name in the title refers to the mouse who we believe resided behind our oven at the time this work was made.)
The Kingdom of the Blue Poppy — as made for Sinclare was generously assisted by Herbert Groiss Optical, Wantirna South. Herbert Groiss handmade the ten small magnifying lenses for this particular edition.
This book was exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002), Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna, and the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW.
Editions of this book are in the collections of the State Library of NSW, State Library Victoria, and RMIT Library.
5/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
101 ways to get to your favoured destination
2001
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with pencil, acrylic and ink stamps on Magnani cotton alpha 300gsm paper,
15cm X 10cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in cotton by Peter Stewart-Warmington, with inlaid Players cigarette card on cover
Edition of 10
Launched
Gallery 3, Craft Victoria, 31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Wednesday 28th of November, 2001
Thanks to Jenny Brown, 101 ways to get to your favoured destination was launched at Gallery 3 at Craft Victoria. It was later exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002), Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna; the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW; and the Shell Fremantle Print Award 2002, Fremantle Arts Centre, Western Australia.
Editions of this book are in the collections of State Library Victoria, and RMIT Library.
6/ Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
Snug as a bug in a rug
2001
Artists’ book, single-colour offset print hand-coloured with watercolour, pencil and pastel on Magnani cotton alpha 300gsm paper with drafting trace and i-zone photographs, 16cm X 12.5cm
Printed by Hart Printing
Bound in denim by Peter Stewart-Warmington
Housed in knitted and crocheted woollen pouches by Elaine Haby and Louise Weaver
Edition of 10
Launched
Gallery 3, Craft Victoria, 31 Flinders Lane, Melbourne
Wednesday 28th of November, 2001
Snug as a bug in a rug documents the three months of winter, 2001. All editions feature hand-knitted sections of unfinished jumpers from the 70s by Elaine Haby, reassembled by Louise Weaver, in 2001, into small pouches fit for an equally small book.
This book was exhibited as part of Global Fusion (2002), Kunstraum Palais Porcia, Vienna, and the Second Freedman Foundation Exhibition (2003), Sir Hermann Black Gallery, NSW. Snug as a bug in a rug later was exhibited as part of Fictions (2008) at MUMA.
Editions of this book are in the collections of State Library Victoria, Monash University Library, and RMIT Library.
Page details from Snug as a bug in a rug feature in A Skilled hand and cultivated mind: a guide to the architecture and art of RMIT University (RMIT University Press 2008), by Harriet Edquist & Elizabeth Grierson (RMIT University Press).
Dear you
We make artists’ books collaboratively, as a team, if you like, and have been doing so since 1999. Place the apostrophe before the ‘s’ or after the ‘s’, we don’t mind, we just like to make books. Artists’ books with drawings, with elements of collage, hand coloured with pencil or stamped, even cut out and altered ever so slightly. Every step, every part of the process, every learning curve, holds us besotted.
We fell into the making of these artists’ books seemingly by accident, without even realising, much like our collaboration. A turn here, a turn there, and here we are. From working in various journals, scrap books, visual diaries and sketch books, and often side-by-side in the studio, it seemed only natural to continue this further and commence making a series of limited edition artists' books.
The medium of the artists’ book seemed, to us, to be free of rules and regulations, of do’s and don’ts. It also presented many new things to consider, from page layout and sequence to typographical decisions. Which paper stock ought we use? Will we be able to draw over the printed areas? Will a watercolour wash make the paper ripple excessively? How can we get the most out of a singular sheet when it comes to printing a costly albeit small edition? These questions we tossed in the air and arranged upon their landing.
Yes, from the outset we knew next to nothing of the logistics of binding. Could a love of books as reader, and a limited knowledge of the history of artists’ books, coupled with a stint in Switzerland to studying experimental binding techniques under Daniel E. Kelm, be enough to guide us along the way? Perhaps.
As we have worked on this loose (and ballooning) series of books, some of those involved in the inky process of printing them, from Phil Beattie at Hart Printing (in the early days) through to Bernie Rackham at Redwood Prints, have chuckled at the small size of our print run. Along the way, we have been fortunate, very fortunate, to receive assistance and inspiration impossible to measure from bookbinders, offset printers, opticians, hobby supply shop stockists (for the brass wire and rods required in book spines and saddle sections), Dr. Carlos Lemos at the Portuguese Consulate, and many, many others, not least, our friends and family. Who could have foreseen long ago, as we spent many a quiet afternoon happily ensconced in the Chess Reading Room at the State Library Victoria, looking at a wonderful collection of rare books shown to us by Des Cowley, that we would end up with a small army of artists’ books to call our own? From turning the pages of old Atlases decorated magnificently with their deep-sea monsters and ghouls, each of us sporting a pair of white gloves, to now, why, it is proving a long and amusing journey.
We plunged in knowing little and are unlikely to ever end our affair with the artists’ book and all the possibilities the medium holds.
Yours in paper covered,
Gracia & Louise
