Whispering Stones
Denver: Gazelle and Goat Press, 2022. Hardcover. Number 15 of 20 copies signed by the book artist. Rhiannon Alpers is a well-known and highly regarded book artist, papermaker, and letterpress printer. She has exhibited internationally, and her edition and one-of-a-kind artist books are produced under the Gazelle and Goat Press imprint. Rhiannon has taught academic courses at San Francisco Art Institute, California College of the Arts (San Francisco), University of San Francisco, and Columbia College Chicago, Dominican University. She has also taught workshops for adult centers such as San Francisco Center for the Book, Penland School of Crafts, Guild of Bookworks, Book Arts LA, Focus on Book Arts, San Diego Book Arts, Center for Book and Paper in Chicago, and at her own studio in Denver. In 2015 and 2017 she received the Minnesota Center for the Book Arts Jurors' Recognition of Merit for her editioned artist books.
This is a stunning production and also a mystical book of poetry from the book artist, written in collaboration with Julia Alpers. She describes the book in its prospectus: "Whispering Stones explores the concepts of heartache, loss, betrayal and the passage of time through hardship. Using two stones to represent two sisters, one as the moon and the other a large boulder on earth. The siblings each experience life changing grief, erosion and endings in different ways. The poem unfolds as they whisper their stories and woes across the night sky of distant places. The shared conversations are offered as gifts in the deep of the night." This intricate book was created using a combination of letterpress polymer plates and mono-printed forms. It uses hand paper-cutting in a double-layer carousel-style false accordion binding. The papers used in the book are handmade Khadi Natural Cotton. The artist used Thai kozo natural paper for the back layer, and handmade denim and cotton paper that she made to create the carousel style binding. The dark blue covers are made of Ultra Suede panels with a natural mica stone inlay. The dark blue clamshell box is made with two styles of indigo-dyed Cave Paper, one that includes dispersed mica flecks. The book is accompanied by a copy of the prospectus and a typed sheet titled "Care for your Artist Book." It provides instruction for caring for the Ultra Suede covers and the Cave Paper box. In fine condition. Measures 5 x 9 x 1 inch closed, and 5 x 9 x 36 inches open. Unpaginated [with 7 spreads]. ARTB/061824. Fine.
Item #37317
Price: $750.00