Farewell Equinox

I studied the responses of emails to my inquiry about a donation to Special Collection Libraries. I finally made a decision and I’m delighted to announce that I found the perfect home for Equinox. Equinox will be part of the other 65,000 books housed in the Golda Meir Library. The library is part of the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee Libraries, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

After speaking with Max Yela, the Head of Special Collections, I relinquished all of my stress. I can now breath easy and able to let go of my project. The UWM Book Arts Collection endeavors to document and show the use of the book form as an art medium and has a world-wide reputation. With its active exhibitions, the Golda Meir Library will bring Equinox to the public and make them aware of my work.

The Golda Meir Library already holds 3 of my artists’ books: City Shields, Outside the Studio (AIR.10, copy #4), and 26NOV2006. 

The most important criteria on my list were that Equinox would find a home in a Canadian Collection. When that turned out negative because of budget restraints my thoughts went to other important criteria, the library receiving Equinox as a gift had 

1. acquired my artists’ books in the past, and

2. understood my work.

© 2007 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2006-2007

© 2006 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2005-2006

© 2005 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2004-2005

© 2004 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2003-2004

© 2003 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2002-2003

© 2002 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2001-2002

© 2001 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 2000-2001

© 2000 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 1999-2000

© 1999 Louise Levergneux, Equinox 1998-1999

A Studio Muse

Tools, equipment, papers, cloth... and most of all inventory fills an artist’s studio. We fail to remember a precious piece—our muse that sits in a corner or in front of the printer table so you notice their presence—our pet. 

This furry friend disturbing my concentration with a favourite toy, a nod for food or a walk, wonders why I don’t always jump at her demands. With index finger extended, I whisper “just a minute, mommy's almost done”. In a few minutes, this bundle of joy comes running tail wagging with no criticism. Dragging a new toy and a bigger smile inviting me to play again. My four-legged family member relieves frustrating moments in the atelier with a carefree attitude whether I’m printing, cutting, writing or binding. I believe the unconditional love inherent of my devoted companion permeates my artistic spirit. 

Do you have a muse in your studio helping with your productive energy? My little Sheltie Topaz has inspired me to create these artists’ books:

© 2003 Louise Levergneux, Topaz made her debut in my series Equinox, the albums explore the repetitiveness of quotidian life

© 2005 Louise Levergneux, Topaz was the inspiration for Beside Me, a collection that comprised teams

© 2006 Louise Levergneux, Topaz participated in the artists' book Ambivalence, a photographic documentation of Ohio cemeteries provoking a feeling of ambivalence in the viewer

© 2012 Louise Levergneux, obsession is a documentary that portrays Topaz's obsession with her daily routine

© 2012 Louise Levergneux, Topaz was very willing to act on command and be photographed for A Day Filled with Onomatopoeias, an interactive book based on the word onomatopoeia and it’s definition

Topaz was also part of my series Outside the Studio, below is the video of the flip book entitled week 11 - AIR.2

In loving memory of

Imperial Topaz

January 20, 2002 - November 21, 2016

Another Large Book

Lots of time this week was spent trying to integrate my website server with MailChimp (an email marketing service) with no luck. I have decided that spending so much time on a company that only cares for paying customers is not a good use of my time. My preference is to communicate with artists and create my books. So I have had to resort to the old fashion way of announcing my new blog posts.

Now to better news, I’m happy to announce the winners for subscribing to my blog posts. The first subscriber Peggy Seeger (brave soul) is the first winner of a volume of City Shields, the 15th subscribers after are: Ka Mahina, Kerry McAleer-Keeler, and Monique momo Moore-Racine. The numbers tell me I’m close to another volume give away, so please subscribe.

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As an artist my ideas come from my surroundings. Subjects are numerous and I’m captivated by the themes that ignite the beginning of an artists’ book. How do you choose your themes? Where do your find your ideas?

I took 10 years to create a series of nine artists’ books entitled Equinox—books on the mundane of daily activities. I started in the spring of 1998. The first book of the series began after the death of my father. This experience reminded me of missed moments. Each book is not large per-say (9in x 11in x 4in deep) (23cm x 28cm x 10cm deep) but the years it took to finish these volumes were too many. 

© 1998-2007 Louise Levergneux, Equinox

Nowadays, no matter what project I begin, my husband always teases me, “Think small!”

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Continuing on this fascinating journey of large format artists’ books, a book that caught my attention was Elizabeth McKee’s book Assault of Angels. I was curious about the inspiration behind the book since I had as you know just gone through a major move last summer! 

Artists’ books no matter their size, they reflect personal and heartwarming ideas. Elizabeth inspired by a poem and a decision to move her home across the world. From these experiences Elizabeth created Assault of Angels, a 22in by 3 in by 10in (56cm x 94cm x 25cm) deep accordion book that weighs about 70 lbs (1.9 kg) without the box. When opened Assault of Angels is 33ft (10m) long. The longest opened book I have seen yet!

Elizabeth clarifies... « In the late 80s around the time when my husband talked about moving us from Ottawa to Bangladesh. I found a poem in The Faber Book of Modern Verse edited by Michael Roberts, an English poet who died in 1948 of leukemia.

I remember sitting in our living room in Ottawa telling a visitor I was “very comfortable here.” So the line in the verse “A time comes when the house is comfortable and narrow” resonated with me. I wanted to paint angels as a mighty force signaling the fantastic size and power of the unknown, not creatures that sit gently on one’s shoulder. The images needed to break out of the pages. I started with twenty (22in x 30in) (56cm x 76cm) sheets of St-Armand cotton paper which I thought might eventually be framed and hung together. The folly of that idea dawned and the Japanese Screen Hinge binding saved the day. »

© 2010 Elizabeth McKee, Assault of Angels

© 2010 Elizabeth McKee, Assault of Angels, acrylic paint and gesso on handmade paper mounted on foam core board which is backed with Ugandan bark cloth

© 2010 Elizabeth McKee, Assault of Angels

© 2010 Elizabeth McKee, Assault of Angels

It took 10 years and four moves for Elizabeth to publish Assault of Angels.

What moves you to create?

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