Posts Tagged ‘ artist book ’

Skyscraper National Park

Ok, so the past few months of artwork made has been accumulating so I have decided to make another artist book to collect everything together. I have made only one copy so far. 46 Pages, 22 Scratchboard Etchings. I am planning on making an edition of 20 copies over the next month.

Book 1

I have decided to set up a pre-order over on my etsy page while I go about making the books.

https://www.etsy.com/au/shop/AlexGilliesWoodcuts

The reason for this is that I have two versions of the book available. One being just the book and the other being the book and an original artwork that I make especially for you. All you need to do is tell me the subject matter that you would like and leave the rest to me. A few weeks later, once completed, I will post it all off to you.

Book 3

Book 6

There is more photos and video over on the Against The Woodgrain instagram page. Now to get with the sorting, cutting and binding of it all. The fun part…

2017
07/10
CATEGORY
Artist Books
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How Do You Sleep? Artist Book #7

How Do You Sleep? Artist Book

So at the moment my world is fast filling up with all the things I need to organise for my solo art show in Melbourne opening next month at The Old Bar in Fitzroy.

Now this is a good thing but also it leaves me little time for distractions and I love a good distraction. Add to this some of my friends who have seen what I’ve been working on behind the scenes lately have had very positive feedback and so last week I thought I’d take a bit of time out to make an artist book. Here it is and it’s titled How Do You Sleep?

How Do You Sleep? Artist Book

There is a undercurrent of thoughts that link a lot of my latest woodcuts, that and my somewhat erratic sleeping pattens of late have culminated in the images and contents of this book. I have handmade it as a concertina style book with a hardback outer cover. It’s a nice size in the hand at 21 x 21cm and I have made it in an edition of 23 copies.

 

book making

Above is my work bench over the last couple of days, basically all that paper, tape and cardboard eventually gets distilled down to this (just like magic)…

How Do You Sleep? Artist Book

It’s for sale HERE in my Etsy shop.

Thanks for reading.

2014
04/09
CATEGORY
Artist Books
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Behind The Scenes

…or should that be ‘Behind The Zines’.

So instead of joining Instagram or something equally 21st century, I decided to make a few copies of a zine recently. I had been looking back through photos and design ideas that while good in my opinion had for whatever reason been discarded or were not right for the chosen project. From there I got to thinking about the long road that leads to any artistic outcome.  The so-called ‘behind the scenes’ that I see every day but is never visible in a finished print or album cover.

I collected up what photos I had of woodblocks in progress, ideas, designs, thoughts and whatever else seemed still appealing to me. Made some small books out of them and then placed them in a larger folder cover. Sure it’s not done on the photocopier or with sticky tape and glue but for me it still has the zine aesthetic of something you want to communicate whipped up in a short amount of time with little fuss. Also wrapped up in the visual ideas is a long winding train of thought that I often find myself thinking through while I work away at a woodcut. You know how your mind wanders sometimes from the small things to bigger how and why questions – well I thought I’d share some of that in there because my woodblocks are also my thinking time.

Prints-32

Prints-33

Prints-34

I’ve made them available through my Etsy Shop should you want to have a closer look. I’ve also put some more new and old prints I have in there as well.

2013
08/13
CATEGORY
Artist Books
Inspiration
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Artist Book #6 – Documenting Memories

The trick to doing something repeatedly is to make it easier the subsequent times you do it. The fun part of making things for me is the challenges I need to problem solve. Those two things don’t always happen at the same time which means it is often interesting how different the outcome usually is to the initial motivating thought.

Making small-run handmade books is really fun. All it is (no joke) is some paper, sticky tape, scissors and sometimes a needle and thread! This latest book has been made specifically to go with my solo exhibition next week and it was supposed to be a piece of cake! At least that’s what I was thinking a month ago.

Artist Book-1

The not to uncommon scenario occurred where the book kept getting slicker and fancier with each new design step but hey I’m not complaining, I love how much like an actual small book this one looks like. I’ve covered some copies in metallic grey Japanese parer and some in metallic blue Japanese Paper. I’ve built the Obi strip into the front cover and hand-bound the spine.

Inside the book are some of the newest woodcuts I’ve completed over the last 12 months. While I’d love them all to be original prints, the variance in size and shape of my woodcuts means that high-quality reproductions was the most practical way to showcase the works. Artist Book-3     Artist Book-4

Of course though It wouldn’t be right to not include an original print so you can see and feel the tactile nature of the image. The roughness, the embossing of the wood into the paper. A hand printed image is always far superior to something spat out of a machine. This print is in an edition of 20 and will only be made available with the book (which is obviously also an edition of 20). For those with good memories (or search skills of this blog), this little bird came to exist on a skateboard last year but seeing as that was a one off creation and I loved how the bird turned out, I’m using this book as an excuse to bring him back and one for myself to keep.

Artist Book-2

I will have all these at the opening night of my exhibition, next Thursday night 23rd from 6pm.  I will also have the last three copies of THIS book available on the night. More details have been put up on the Mild Manners site and of course there’s stuff on Facebook too.

Artist Book-5

2013
05/15
CATEGORY
Artist Books
Exhibition
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Holding Onto An Unknown World – Artist Book No.5

So I’ve been hinting through facebook and updating the site here over the past few days (check out the new Artist Book page in the top right corner)  about my latest creation/distraction – I’ve made another artist book!

This one was the most fun of the five I’ve made so far and the easiest (a good thing to finally be able to say). Creatively different from my previous books but also looking back over my shoulder a bit and giving a nod to two recurring themes that are now impossible for me to miss with my woodcuts.

This book is officially called a ‘Do-Si-Do’ book. I’m just calling it a double sided book because there’s a front book and a back book…

Artist Book 2013-3

The front is showcasing many of the portraits I’ve done over the last four plus years. I love doing portraits and they are still the hardest of all the subject matter I’ve tried my hand at. I hope to do hundreds more over the coming years.

Speaking of trying my hand… The second side is filled with woodcuts themed around hands. I still don’t know why I do woodcuts of hands so much but it is fascinating to me. This is how we physically touch the world we see and how we give and take so much of what’s around us. The hands are so many different things and I guess I’m exploring just some of what those things might be.

The book itself incorporates 27 woodcuts produced between 2008 and 2013. Entirely designed, compiled and hand-bound by me – I’ve decided to limit it to only 20 hand-numbered copies.

Artist Book 2013-1

Because I’m addicted to making things as special as I can, I’ve also carved out an exclusive woodcut that is in the back of the book. I have no plans to make this original print available elsewhere so I like to think it’s a pretty nice way to either introduce people to what I do or for those who already know – collect together some of my art that I’m really quite proud of.

The images that make up this book can be encapsulated in a quote I’ve paraphrased from elsewhere and adorned on the back cover of the book “The people you never quite know. They’re the places you wanted to go.”

Artist Book 2013-2

Most importantly, you can get your hands on this book two ways. You can go to my ETSY SHOP and buy it there and I’ll send it to you or if you go into the bookstore in the Gallery Of Modern Art at southbank, you can have a look through it and buy it there!

Thanks.

2013
01/16
CATEGORY
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I Made A Book

Book 1

Book 4

Book 2

Book 3

So, the last year has been a pretty wild ride in a number of ways. And with the show still a little way off, I decided to document the last 12months from my first woodblock to my last (and all in between).

So… I made a book! It’s 68 pages with big colour photos of all my work, stories and explanations for why and how. There’s also five original prints (on Japenese printing stock) in there as well (Utah above being one of them). The whole thing is nicely printed on pearl paper, hand bound by me with a pretty embossed cover.

It seemed like a good idea when I started it… and it was. It was more work than I imagined though so subsequently, I’ve only made 6 of them and one of those 6 is for me to keep. The other five I’m going to sell on the opening night of the art show.

I wonder what crazy ideas I’ll have between now and the 17th July?

2009
06/15
CATEGORY
Printing
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