Artist Book Spotlight: The Observatory by Tim Ely

The unique books of Colfax, Washington based artist Timothy C. Ely need very little introduction. He is one of those revered artists whose work has truly helped elevate the field of book arts into the realm of fine art over the last 20 years.

The very nature of his highly complex, deeply considered and beautifully crafted one-of-a-kind books command careful study and elicit awe from all viewers. 23 Sandy Gallery is honored to have one of Tim's books featured in our new Infinite Possibilities exhibition. This book, created in 2007 is actually a study for a larger book of the same title, The Observatory. With this piece Tim delves into ideas of history, perception, optics, and the science of lens grinding. He tells us, “The Observatory is a visual laboratory where forays into the imaginary mind are made real by the measurements of the lens. This book honors such a location and, as a parallel aim, evokes and extends the range of the inner eye.”

You can learn more about this stunning book and see more photos of it here.