CARBON
Dublin, Ireland: The Salvage Press, 2024. Hardcover. Number 37 of 54 numbered copies of this powerful and heartfelt book, signed by Jessica Traynor and initialed by Jamie Murphy on the colophon. Jessica Traynor is a well known poet in Dublin, Ireland. She has published a number of books of her poetry. From a description of the book: "Carbon is the basis for all life on earth, and the harbinger of our demise. Jessica Traynor's hypnotic prose poem contemplates this element in its many forms, following a meteor’s flight, picking through WWII bombsites, visiting geodesic domes, seventeenth century laboratories, Plato’s cave, and pushing ever deeper below the earth’s crust in search of wild spirits, and the black lake at the heart of all things." The Salvage Press (est. 2012) is the imprint of the artist and designer Jamie Murphy. Graduating from The History of Art & Design and Visual Communication (NCAD, 2006), he spent several years working on his own and with the studios of others before completing his MA in Design (NCAD, 2012). Following this he moved to the UK where he worked with Justin Knopp at the newly established letterpress workshop, Typoretum. Returning to Ireland he was invited to work as an understudy to Seán Sills in Distillers Press at the National College of Art & Design. He began as Designer in Residence there in 2013 before being appointed in 2015 where his focus is on typographic research and experimentation. In 2025 he spent three months at the University of Iowa Center for the Book as a Fulbright Visiting Scholar. Jamie collaborates with artists from diverse disciplines producing book projects which give particular attention to concept, materials and fine printing. He has been invited to exhibit, lecture, and discuss his work broadly. His award winning books reside in private, public and institutional collections across the globe.
Additional information about the book: "It has been more than five years since the inception of this book, and finally the Carbon project is approaching completion. It has been a long and winding road! After some false starts and major delays (we did encounter a global plague during all this thinking and making), in late 2024 Roger Grech (UK) took up the challenge of binding the project — and he has been a dream to work with. After an epic 26 hour ferry / road trip during a rare and freakishly violent snow storm, the sheets were finally delivered from my studio in Dublin safely into Roger's studio in Shipley, Yorkshire. And the result is this monumental work. The large type is letterpress printed from the new woodletter and the paper is taken from the 260kg of custom watermarked Velké Losiny handmade that is intended for the project. Bound in black, gray, and white coat and carbon painted paper over boards. Housed in a black solander box. In fine condition. The book measures about 16.5 x 11.8 inches. About 39 pages plus colophon. PRI/061026. Fine.
Item #38339
Price: $3,500.00