While the premise of an accordion-fold book seems straightforward enough, the variety of pieces in “FOLD: Artists’ Accordion Books” at Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum reveals the endless possibilities of this creative form. Featuring dozens of pieces from the collection of Stephen Perkins, the exhibition incorporates works by young contemporary artists as well as established figures such as Kiki Smith and Christo.
Artist Carole King’s How to Make a Concertina Book is a brief manual on the process of making this type of object. With simple instructions she outlines the steps for making a book with a cover. The instructions become part of the finished object. It is a very straightforward piece unlike many in the exhibition, which are rich with aesthetic and philosophical implications.
As this artistic format is largely linear, the quick juxtapositions of image and text have some powerful results. Jonathon Rosen’s The Birth of Machine Consciousness is like a rumination on science fiction and human fragility. He explains this work as touching on “the simultaneous fascination and horror of seeing the entire kingdom of organic life systematically patented and commercially exploited by the unstoppable medical-industrial complex.” Through diagrams and drawings that span scientific notation and steampunk pin-ups, an unnerving world is unpacked.
On the opposite spectrum is My Love, Where Shall We Make Love? by Niki de Saint Phalle. In the course of 50 pages, the delights of a romance are recounted through playful drawings and captions. The details are rooted in ordinary pleasures and memories, like breakfast in bed and a $300 phone call. Rather than spoil the ending, it is overall a charming and poignant piece that embodies the style of Saint Phalle in an intimate way.
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The installation of the exhibition is a unique viewing experience due to the medium of the work. As the accordion books are best displayed by being unfolded, many are stretched out on long shelves and will also be turned around at points during the exhibition. For an even deeper look at “FOLD,” curatorial staff members will lead a tour of the exhibition at 1 p.m. on Wednesday, May 9.
Through June 3 at the Villa Terrace Decorative Arts Museum, 2220 N. Terrace Ave.
