Iowa City: Emily Martin, 2024. Softcover. Number 7 of 25 copies in the standard edition, signed and numbered by the book artist. There was also one deluxe copy and two artist's proofs. Emily Martin writes of this provocative and timely new book on her web site: "In current times, our world seems to be very much off its axis. We are in a time of plague, not just medical but political, ecological, and more. The wholesale denial of science and rational thought coupled with the embrace of superstition and misinformation are signaling a need for a return to fact-based actions and ideas, a renewed age of enlightenment. In an attempt to not be completely bleak, I offer this set of wry visual aids for those who will not, cannot see what is really happening. For many months starting in 2021, the project only existed as the title, a few notes, and a call list for the Newberry library. In the spring of 2023, I spent a month in their reading rooms looking at many wonderful books, primarily their many editions of Peter Apian’s Cosmography from the 16th century, a time of scientific revolution. Apian included a set of five paper instruments in each of his editions. The paper instruments enabled readers to participate in 16th century mathematical and astrological calculations. Seeing and manipulating the many examples of those centuries old and still functional devices was invaluable to me as I began to work on my own paper tools."
Emily Martin earned an MA degree in painting, from the University of Iowa in 1979 and made her first artist’s books at that time. She joined the faculty of the University of Iowa Center for the Book in 1998 where she teaches artists books, paper engineering, and traditional bookbinding classes. Martin makes limited edition artists books first as the Naughty Dog Press, now using her name only. She has produced over fifty artist’s books, often using movable and/or sculptural paper engineering techniques. Martin’s books are included in public and private collections throughout the world, including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; the Meermanno Museum, The Hague, Netherlands; The Victoria and Albert Museum, London; The Museum of Contemporary Art of Chicago; the Tate Britain, the Library of Congress and others.
The book was printed letterpress on a Vandercook SP15 printing press using polymer plates from Boxcar Press. The text is printed on Rives BF paper using Baskerville, Gill Sans and Trattello fonts. The five paper tools are inventive volvelles, all variations of Martin's devising. They are printed on Chancery paper, with Text Wove paper as backing, and are hand cut and assembled. The binding is a combination slotted tape/long stitch using flax and abaca cover paper made by Mary Hark. With white title label on the cover. Housed in a black cloth covered clamshell box with a white title label on the spine. In fine condition. Measures 8 inches square. Unpaginated [24 pages] ART/041724. Fine. More