1-SELF
San Pedro, CA: Careless Press, 2005. Hardcover. Number 22 of 50 copies, deluxe edition. A catalog of the artist's drawings and mixed media paintings with a brief biography and two essays about the artist and their work by art critics Shana Nys Dambrot and Kristina Newhouse. This catalog takes the form of an artists' book with the additions of handmade papers, letterpress quotations from the artist, an original watercolor drawing, stitchery on the covers, a block print insert, and other hand-done accents. According to the book artist: "The 1-SELF title suggests a dual meaning of both intimate self-expression and the artist's pattern-making background. Garment patterns were often marked '1-self' in manufacturing."
Bound in handsewn stiff grey paper wrappers with letterpress printed black title and author to front wrapper along with a die-cut. Includes an original watercolor on the title page and fourteen archivally printed pages in full color. Features handmade papers, a block print insert, hand-cut collar pattern endpapers, and letterpress printed quotes by the artist throughout. Housed in a white gift box with block printed illustrated label on top lid. A tissue garment pattern piece lines the box. Light rubbing to edges and cover of box, else in fine condition. Unpaginated. [33 pages.] Size: 8.5 x 8 inches.
Contemporary abstract artist, Ayin Es was born and raised in Los Angeles. They identify as nonbinary or genderqueer. Known primarily for their unusual mixed media oil paintings and artist's books, their work is considered raw and highly personal. At a glance, brightly colored surfaces suggest children's art, but upon deeper inspection there is evidence of abuse, disability, queer and transgender subject matter, family dynamics, and other thought-provoking themes. Widely collected, Ayin's imaginative artworks reside in museums such as the Getty, Brooklyn Museum, National Museum of Women in the Arts, Centre Pompidou, and more. A two-time recipient of ARC Grants from the Durfee Foundation, they've also won a Pollock-Krasner Fellowship, the Wynn Newhouse Award, an Artist Achievement Award from the National Arts & Disability Center, and the Bruce Geller Memorial Award from the American Jewish University. Los Angeles Art Critic, Peter Frank wrote: "An autodidact, Es has long embodied their interests and their struggles - in painted and drawn and even sculpted and sewn imagery - darkly whimsical forms and figures whose deft fluidity have the eye "going for a walk with a line" (in the words of Paul Klee, who strongly influenced Es) but aggressively trouble the mind." ARTB/052825. Fine. More


