Now Showing at 23 Sandy: Poignant to Playful - Pop-Up and Movable Books

Pop-up books hold a special place in everyone's heart. Young and old alike can't help but be mesmerized by the myriad movabilities of pop-ups. This month we are showcasing 32 pop-up and movable books, from moving meditations on language to playful hand shadows. An exhibition of handmade movables to intrigue us all.

A Burning Question by Australian Artist Sarah Bowen

This book seemed like an important choice for this show given the devastating forest fires we are experiencing here in the West this summer. Sarah tells us, "This book is both a question and an answer: what starts bush fires? Poor land management, natural occurrences such as lightening strikes, and man-made situations such as falling power poles or carelessly discarded matches: they all cause bush fires, resulting in damaged property, destroyed homes and wrecked lives. This book was inspired by Tom Griffith’s Forests of Ash. I was interested in doing something about bush fires, which terrify me." Click here to learn more about A Burning Question.

Aviary by Susan Lowdermilk and Tallmadge Doyle

23 Sandy is very proud to be featuring this new book by long time gallery artist, Susan Lowdermilk in collaboration with Tallmadge Doyle. The sumptuous etchings in this book "juxtaposes an aviary of birds with the universal mathematical order and geometric shapes associated with the cosmos. The subject of this book is about an inherent connection with the mysteries of nature on earth and the mysteries of the universe as a whole." Tallmadge created the original etchings and Susan designed the book. Together they have created a stunningly beautiful book. Click here to see more photos of Aviary.

Pain by Lise Melhorn Boe

One of the reasons many people are drawn to the book arts is the chance to talk about serious issues. The book form offers a chance to tell a bigger story—often personal or social—that will hopefully have an impact or bring about change. One person who has dealt with some very important issues is Canadian book artist Lise Melhorn Boe. Most of her books are personal and poignant, documenting her own difficulties. This book, Pain, really makes you feel and think about this very poignant topic.

Lise tells us, "Diane Dawber has fibromyalgia and MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities) which she attributes to growing up on a farm, with pesticide spraying and spending a lot of time in her dad’s gas station. Her poetic description of four kinds of pain led me to create this abstract pop-up book, full of painful shapes. The board covers are covered with a beautiful hand marbled paper which reminded me of painful muscles, and the fabric wrapper has the title spelled out in straight pins, a grater and a clothespin; it’s tricky to open the book without a little pain." You can learn more about Pain here.

On a Lighter Note: Pop-Up Hand Shadow Book by Helen Hiebert

Audience favorite, and former Oregonian (lucky Colorado!), Helen Hiebert's very playful and interactive, Pop-Up Hand Shadow Book features four illustrated animal hand shadows in a theatrical book structure. Hand shadow animals are brought to life as the viewer plays with a mini flashlight, casting shadows onto panels behind the pop-ups in the book. A verse about each animal, by poet Nora Robertson, appears on each page. Stop by the gallery to play with the shadows soon or see more here.

Voyages (en train) by Amandine Nabarra-Piomelli

If you've ever seen any of Amandine's books in the gallery before, you know what mechanical marvels they can be. Her Bernoulli's Equation book has stunned viewers as an engineering marvel for years. Amandine's latest book is truly innovative and a journey into another fine craft: metal working. Amandine, a French artist currently living in Italy, worked with a metal artist to simulate the train’s movement in book form. "The final form of this enterprise is a book of four photographs divided in half, with each half mounted on sliding aluminum panels, which, once opened, make a metal “click” as if the images where sliding on a rail."

So there you have it— your sneak preview of Poignant to Playful. Stop by the gallery soon to see these terrific books in person.

Take care,

Laura