If you want to read this book, you’ll need to open it
Closer, still
Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison
A Hemline of Sky Through Smoke
A Hemline of Forest Through Smoke
and
A Hemline of Water Through Smoke
2020
Three artists' books, at the printers
A Hemline of Sky Through Smoke, A Hemline of Forest Through Smoke, and A Hemline of Water Through Smoke refer to a line by Larry Levis, “A hemline of smoke, sky, & a serene indifference?”, from his poem ‘To a Wren on Calvary’, The Widening Spell of the Leaves (Pennsylvania: University of Pittsburgh Press, 1991). These three artists’ books make up a set, and late last week we delivered them to the printers. As we await the proofs, let’s take a closer look at what they will be by the time you hold one in your hand.
Each artists’ book is 120mm X 185mm, and will be hand-bound by us as an unopened binding. They will be a set of artists’ books the reader needs to take action with in order to see the full collage, clearly. You will need to tear open the perforated fore-edge of each page spread to see through the smoke, to see what lies beneath, or ahead, or in the past. Echoing Sir David Attenborough’s words that “If we don’t take action, the collapse of our civilizations and the extinction of much of the natural world is on the horizon”, without action, all will be lost (David Wallace-Wells, ‘Time to Panic: The planet is getting warmer in catastrophic ways. And fear may be the only thing that saves us’, The New York Times, 16th February 2019).
We are printing each as an edition of 100, with Bambra. They will be available individually, or as a set held together with a belly band. We will be donating a percentage of each sale to Bush Heritage Australia.
We will be launching these artists’ books from our stall at the Melbourne Art Book Fair, and hope to see you there.
Melbourne Art Book Fair
National Gallery of Victoria
Thursday 12th – Sunday 15th March, 2020
#ahemlineofsmoke
But before we race too far ahead, next weekend, please join us to see our lions, tigers, polar bears, and leopards turning the tables on their collector, Alfred Court, once more, as part of the exhibition f_OCUS, at the Counihan Gallery, opening on Saturday.
f_OCUS
Hoda Afshar, Wendy Black, Megan Cope, Destiny Deacon, Emily Floyd, Fiona Foley, Marlene Gilson, Helga Groves, Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, Joy Hester, Deanna Hitti, Regina Karadada, Carmel Louise, Mandy Nicholson, Rose Nolan, Jill Orr, Carol Porter, Nusra Latif Qureshi, Judy Watson
Saturday 8th February – Sunday 26th April, 2020
Counihan Gallery In Brunswick
233 Sydney Road, Brunswick
This year we launch the exciting new street front art space at the Counihan Gallery In Brunswick, which will be used to display longer cycled projects, invitational curations, touring exhibitions and, importantly, regular displays of works from the Moreland Art Collection.
Therefore, to coincide with the lead up and celebration of International Women’s Day, the Counihan Gallery will present f_OCUS, a selection of works by women from the permanent collection including key works, recent and brand-new acquisitions. Comprising photography, painting, printmaking, artist books and animation, f_OCUS also represents a range of social, political and cultural concerns and provocations, a mainstay that the Counihan Gallery pioneered and has become renowned for amongst municipal galleries and remains a feature of its annual programs and art collection.
Opening Saturday 8th of February, 2 pm – 4 pm
And, on Sunday, Louise and I look forward to showing you our latest zine, Poephila cincta, at the Sticky Institute annual Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair.
Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair
Meat Market
3 Blackwood Street, North Melbourne
Sunday 9th of February
12 pm – 5 pm
(Please note, the fair runs over two days, but we have a stall on the Sunday. And our new Black-throated finch zine will be available through our online store sometime after the fair.)
Image credit: Gracia Haby & Louise Jennison, A Hemline of Sky through Smoke (detail), 2020, forthcoming artists’ book
