Gil Scott-Heron at the Village Gate, New York 1976

For some fantastic live tracks from Gil Scott-Heron playing the Village Gate in New York in 1976 click here to go to a great post by Absurdity where you can download them for a limited period.

Trying to keep posting to no more then one a day this was just too good not to add straight away!

The tracks will only be up for a few days - I haven't come across this recording anywhere else - but if you like what you're hearing get on to Amazon/your local record shop and give back by buying some of Gil Scott-Heron's music.

Ord & Text at STREET this weekend

This weekend Ord & Text (Word & Text) - a weekend of author presentations, exhibitions, films, music, readings, book signings and the chance to buy works from small publishers, magazines, fanzines, authors and poets - is taking place at STREET in Stockholm.

As I've written before I very annoyingly missed the last offering so am very excited about (hopefully) being able to go this weekend!

For the full program - which includes a "children's' hour", workshop for teens, reading corner, the party Ord & Öl (Word & Beer) as well as everything mentioned above and more! - click here (in Swedish only I'm afraid), for a list of and links to exhibitors click here and for directions to get there click here. Opening hours are Saturday 18th and Sunday 19th 11am - 6pm (for party click here).

More from the London Artist's Book Fair

Today I thought I'd profile Mike Nicholson, another favourite from this and previous years' bookfairs.
He has "a particular interest in language, and the powerful potential of narratives inside sequential combinations of text and image" - something that's clearly conveyed in all his work.
(For example his love of reading inspired the bookmarks below.)
I've found his work captivating, thought-provoking and intriguing from day one - besides the fact that he's also always fantastically nice and does not mind discussing and explaining his work for whatever long.

To learn more or for where his work can be seen next email.
You can also click here, here and here for some more information of his work/background and exhibitions/commissions. For general information about book art this has very good sources.

"Since 1999 I have self-published my own (written and illustrated) material, exhibiting and selling at variety of 'artist's book' fairs, events and outlets. My ongoing Ensixteen Editions imprint has produced 20 titles to date and I have also been invited to lecture and write on my experiences in this elastic, increasingly evident field. The work has been purchased by private and public collections, cited in paper and online publications and featured in exhibitions in the UK, Australia, USA and elsewhere."

US Midterm Elections

Yes great the democrates got both houses (please get some answers and hold people responsible) - but what the election was more then anything to me was new heights of despicable, ludicrous campaigning.

ALPHABET: an exhibition of hand-drawn lettering and experimental typography

ALPHABET: AN EXHIBITION OF HAND-DRAWN LETTERING AND EXPERIMENTAL TYPOGRAPHY.

This exhibition - organized by Post Typography and Artscape - is still touring so stop by if you have the chance (we're hoping to see it in New York in 2007). For dates click here or email if you want to know if and when they're visiting your town.

Back from the London Artist's Book Fair

So I'm back from the Bookfair, which of course was fantastic as always.
Gathering my treasures together to photograph and scan and will hopefully have those and the photos I forced my husband to take of the fair itself (as I was to shy to) ready soon - hope it will all come out great (and on here in a few days)

I wanted to share a very nice hanging book art sculpture that I found on my return late at night browsing blogs - I was sure it was posted on fiftyRx3 but it's not so there we go...

"6 degrees"
"The structure holds the book together whilst also illustrating the theory (Six Degrees of Separation). No beginning, no end - everyone is connected in whatever direction the reader chooses. The text is of recorded conversations from a trip around the Circle Line, London, between 2-4pm, Friday 19th Nov. 1999"

Instead I thought I'd show some works from one of the most interesting exhibitors at the London Artist Book Fair (this and previous years) Mette-Sofie D. Ambeck. One of her works the Jante Law resonates with me especially (probably as a Swede) and it's my plan to own an edition one day. For now I have "The Process", describing the making of. Unfortunately I couldn't find any images of the book so only the poster is pictured below. (Click on titles above and below to take you to further descriptions or details of which collections houses the work).

"The Jante Law"
"'A Refugee Crosses the Tracks' (Aksel Sandemose, 1933) outlined ten commandments said to reveal how Danish identity is dogged by inferiority and inadequacy. This 'book' investigates and reassembles these commandments in both physical construction and applied design.
Accompanieing the book is the poster; 'the process' (2002), describing the making of the book."

Don't miss London Artist's Bookfair this weekend!

On Friday, Saturday and Sunday the London Artist's Bookfair is taking place at the ICA in London - don't miss it!

I'm extremely excited about going (as maybe my previous posts shows) and hope to pick up some amazing pieces this year too - but more then anything I'm just looking forward to being inspired by the creativity that surely will be on show!

For you who have not visited before or are not really familiar with Artist Books or Book Art this is what to expect:

"Artist’s books encompass drawing, painting, print-making, craft, sculpture, photography and graphic design, and are used for sharing social comment, poetry, beauty, fun or mischief. Some have words – others don’t – and the subject matter ranges from serious literature and high art to personal passions and experience. Some are made by full time artists but many are from part-time enthusiasts."

"You will find conventional pages and handsome typography but also un-conventional intricately folded constructed shapes, computer generated graphics printed on a variety of materials from hand-made paper to plastic and metal and messages and slogans."

The hours are Fri Nov 3rd 12 noon - 7pm, Sat Nov 4th 11am - 7pm and Sun Nov 5th 11am - 5pm. Directions to get there here.