Argentina: Marina Soria, 2022 - 2023. Hardcover. 1 of 4 copies, signed by the artist. A lovely calligraphic work featuring an original poem by Argentinian book artist, Marina Soria. In this new work she has created a stylized alphabet inspired by the Chavin Culture of the Andes. To accompany her calligraphic poem, she has included a code book as well as the full text of the poem (in English and Spanish) in the Roman alphabet. As one reads Soria's original calligraphic text, they may feel like an anthropologist deciphering a new language; although, once the reader's eyes become accustomed the alphabet used, the poem can be read with ease.
An accordion book bound in speckled cream handmade paper covered boards with laser cut blue circles pasted down to the front board. This book features a digital printing of an original hand calligraphed poem in Spanish about a flowing river. Two miniature books are included: "The Code" and "The Poem." Both are accordion books bound in brown paper covered boards. "The Code" is hand lettered in colored pencil with each letter of the calligraphic alphabet featured in "We Rivers". "The Poem" includes a digital printing of the original Spanish with English translation. A laid in colophon describes the books and includes the text of the poem in both Spanish and English. All are housed in a cream cloth covered drawer, which inserts into a cream paper covered slipcase. Size: 28 x 75.5 cm open; 13 x 28.5 cm, closed
An English translation of the poem follows:
“Sometimes it flows like a river
crystal clear and pure in the morning;
others, it is stormy,
stones and swirls.
There are rivers that come from who
knows where,
in their causes they carry stories,
smiles and songs;
others, rubble,
corpses and carrion.
There are stormy people;
others, sunrises.
There are gestures that are fire;
others a warm winter sun.
The river is always the river.
Sometimes it goes down singing,
whispering old couplets;
others it shouts and in a desperate
scream it falls off the cliff.
Perhaps like rivers,
let us be little moons
and bits of suns as well.
A drop of poison
and another of dew.
Maybe,
we are one and all rivers”
Born in Buenos Aires, Argentina, Marina Soria is a seasoned artist and educator with degrees in Fine Arts and Graphic Design. Not content to just immerse herself in learning calligraphy at international conferences, and through courses with renown calligraphers, she studied Eastern principles of Beauty in sumi-e (Japanese painting). She distilled and blended these principles with her rich experience and background in the fine arts, typography and graphic arts, employing unique approaches and techniques. She has also dabbled in the textile arts, creating a metaphor for weaving; letters as stitches and text as if it were a textile. Her works, vibrating with a love for nature and exploding with life and color, can be found in calligraphy collections in museums, universities, and libraries in the U.S., Europe, and South America. Marina has received numerous national and international awards, and has been featured widely in calligraphic arts publications. A prolific artist, experimental calligrapher, book artist, and educator, her goal is to mingle diverse disciplines to challenge the limits of conceptual art and technique. ARTB/022024. Fine. More