| Title | Desert Dreaming: Explorations & Excavations of HK in Greater Syria |
| Artist / Creator | Elsi Vassdal Ellis |
| Press Name | EVE Press |
| Place of Publication | Bellingham, WA |
| Publication Date | 2015 |
| Process / Technique | Epson C88+ DuraBrite Ultra inks, Cameo Silhouette electronic cutter; Sizzix die-cutting |
| Structure / Binding | A collection of 30 books bound using Hedi Kyle structures |
| Medium / Materials | Davey board, lapis lazuli and carnelian stone beads, metal beads, marble tile, facsimile pottery shard, facsimile cuneiform tablet, silkworm cocoon, bone, sea shell, pistachio shell, cotton seeds, Chicago posts, leather, synthetic "leather" |
| Paper Stock | Cougar Opaque 100#, 80# and 65# cover; 80# and 60# text; French 100# cover in various colors; scrapbooking 65# colored covers; Japanese calligraphy paper |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 11.13 x 10.875 x 4.38 inches. |
| Edition Size | Boxed set: 10; books sold individually 15 each (total edition 25) |
| Box / Wrapper | Box with a hinged lid, closure and handle |
Desert Dreaming: Explorations & Excavations of HK in Greater Syria by Elsi Vassdal Ellis --AWARD WINNER!
$1,000.00 -
Please contact 23 Sandy for current availability.
Desert Dreaming is a collection of 30 books, artifacts and envelopes housed in a lunch-box styled box that exploits the many Hedi Kyle structures to tell the fictional archaeology tale of HK. The box was "delivered" to a University of Copenhagen professor of cross-cultural studies while she was visiting family in Wiesbaden, Germany. The box was originally found in the war-ravaged section of Old Aleppo, Syria, by Nr. Nazim Azmeh, the long-time contact agent in Aleppo for HK. HK's identity, age and gender are not known. All that is known of HK must be inferred from the contents of the box: an archaeologist in search of a significant discovery, a keen observer of human behavior with a prophetic voice regarding the future of Greater Syria, the sibling of a brother in Parisian fashion design, a solitary traveller and explorer, an author, a collector of the material world and maker of artifacts.
Winner: The Hedi Kyle Award. Congratulations, Elsi!
Artist Bio
Elsi Vassdal Ellis creates books in a well-equipped studio outside Bellingham on 20 acres of what was once part of the Buckholtz Homestead. Born in Fallon, Nevada, in 1952, she spent her formative years in Iowa City, Iowa, before settling down in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1983 she has produced over 125 editions and 120 unique books employing a variety of reproduction techniques and materials. Her work is permanently housed in many public collections including the National Museum of Women in the Arts, New York City Public Library, Ruth and Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete and Visual Poetry, Grabhorn Collection in the San Francisco Public Library, and Arts of the Book Collection in the Yale University Library. Western Washington University has been her professional home since 1977 where she holds the rank of full professor and teaches courses in design production and (occasionally) book arts.