A dedicated artist's organization named The Binders Guild opened their art exhibition “Books Unbound” at Mount Mary College in the Marian Gallery this Sunday. The unique exhibition illustrates the multiple forms to the book as art%u23AFas sculpture, an altered book or the more traditionally thought of form that integrates concept, content, and cover. A fascinating book array comprises the show from eleven members of The Binder's Guild, which includes: Barbara Chappell, Susan Berland, Carolyn Brady, Darlene Hagopian, Shelia Lewandowski, Nancy Lohmiller, Dianna Reitler, Cathy L. Rocca, J. Michael Tucci, and Carey Weiler.
Lohmiller, who curated the exhibition, explains that the Binders Guild encourages community for the beginning and expert book artist at meetings held once a month, on Fridays, from 10:00 a.m. to noon. Occasional Sunday meetings accommodate those who work more traditional hours. The meetings stimulate an exchange of ideas, planning
and collaborating on projects and show/tell sessions to discuss existing artwork. Anyone interested in this informal, professional organization for studying book art may contact Lohmiller through the Mount Mary College Art Department. Several contemporary artworks from the multifaceted “Books Unbound” exhibition certainly redefine how this common object might be viewed and includes:
There's No Place Like Home: Berland places singular pages shaped in the form of a house in a handmade wooden box that echoes the shape. An alternate title can be read on the inside, Maison Le Reve, or House of Dreams, while these painting like pages lie inside the open box fashioned with tiny hinged doors, all resting on an easel for display.
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Twelve Origami Firecrackers: Weiler incorporates the ancient tradition of origami to display a dozen folded paper circles strung through a red satin cord for this vibrant colored wall sculpture.
Getting Ready to Pose: Five Plexiglas pages bound between fabric covers illustrate a nude preparing for a figure drawing class in an intriguing sculptural form that stands on a table top and was constructed by Tucci.
Morning Coffee: Brady reconfigures actual dyed coffee filters through a coptic bound book form that reenvisions a globe on top of a hand made base that is appliqued with stones.
A Farewell To Corsets-Loosening the Ties that Bind: Wieler recycles one vintage mannequin and women's lingerie that she covers with strips of text. Printed words flow over and around the chest and torso on the mannequin that continues to develop this witty play on words.
Sticks, Lies & Videotapes: Chappell weaves newsprint, recycled VHS tape and natural sticks in a hand woven wall hanging that allows the loose ends of this media refuse to fringe the bottom edge.
Copper Pattern Book: Rocca reimagines a copper box, plates and vintage nails that she airbrushes and stencils, afterwards affixing a folded book made from canvas pages that are also airbrushed and stenciled to the bottom of the box and the cover, similar to a sophisticated jack in the box without the toy.
Studio Goddess: An etched copper cover over an olive oil tin becomes the body to a doll like book that incorporates Polaroid image transfers and found objects. Brady creates a eclectic book from the body of this figure like form that hangs on the wall.
"Books Unbound" displays an avant-garde, contemporary or traditional viewpoint to these artistic books in an exhibition where books beg to be admired, investigated or merely observed in the inviting Marian Gallery through the remaining fall season.
