Enigmatic Talismans
Cairo, Egypt: Islam Aly, 2016. Hardcover. AP 4 of 5 - of 30 variant copies and 5 APs. Signed and numbered by the artist. According to Islam Aly: "'Enigmatic Talismans' is inspired from the symbols found in Ethiopian healing scrolls. Originally they were produced to provide live spiritual power in the physical world. I find the various symbols captivating, fantastic creatures, faces, eyes, angels, and patterns that blur the line between traditional function and contemporary abstraction. The paper is made from flax paper with deckle edges to have the appearance and texture of the parchment that was historically used in the Ethiopian scrolls. The covers are made from transparent Plexiglass that reveals the overlapping symbols, generating new meanings."
Coptic bound in transparent laser engraved Plexiglass covers with title on the front board. The interior pages of handmade flax paper feature laser cut geometric designs. Size: 3 x 5.5 inches.
Islam Aly is an Egyptian-born book artist and teacher. His books explore the possibilities of historical bindings in contemporary book art practices They have appeared in international exhibitions in the United States and abroad, and in private and public collections including the New York Public Library, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the National Library of Chile, Yale University, and Bibliotheca Alexandrina. In an artist's statement he writes: "When I make a historical book structure, I go through a learning process. I learn the history as well as the different physical aspects of the binding such as how a book form is constructed in a specific sequence. I learn about the use of different materials such as paper, wood, leather and dyes. I learn to make choices in selecting and replacing traditional materials that I don’t have access to. I use these different experiences to enhance my work in making artists’ books and to use historical and cultural references from these structures in the actual content. In essence, I wish to explore new ways to use the rich structures of historical books in contemporary artists’ book practice and incorporate contemporary content into strictly historical structures." ARTB/070725. Fine.
Item #38111
Price: $500.00