Title | In Memoriam |
Subtitle | The Wind |
Artist / Creator | Lucy Childs |
Press Name | Another Room Book Arts |
Place of Publication | Martinez, CA |
Publication Date | 2015 |
Number of Images | 8 with cover |
Structure / Binding | Cloth accordion |
Medium / Materials | Silk, polyester, and cotton thread; wool cover over acrylic felt and board |
Number of Pages | 8 panels with cover |
Dimensions (WxHxD) | Closed: 4 x 5 x 1 inches. Extends out to 28 inches |
Edition Size | Unique |
Signed & Numbered | Signed by the artist |
The In Memoriam books meant to be carried with you, to look at and remember someone (or a pet) who has died. The sewn cross shape suggests a graveyard cross, possibly one from the corner of an old and forgotten cemetery. This series uses the first verse of Maxwell Bodenheim's poem, "To One Dead," written in 1918, and is sewn along and around the pages of the accordions. The poem's poignant but celebratory flavor is reflected in the colors and letterforms used to sew the words. Creating these books came from exploring the history, craft, and culture of early American and British sewing samplers, made mostly by young girls to learn the practical craft of sewing but also to learn letters and spelling. That elements of reading and writing were taught through sewing samplers appealed to me because of my career as a school teacher. Many old and antique samplers included text or images in memory of family members who had died.
Artist Bio
Early American and British sewing samplers inspired the recent sewn and embroidered artist books made by Lucy Childs. In the mid-70s, her first artist books included photography, xerox, and hand-written text. While making these artist books, she co-produced and published Another Room Magazine, a punk-based art and music magazine which encouraged artists to buy and use full pages for their art. The 80s and 90s were devoted to painting and sculpture, but she returned to making artist books in the mid-90s. In 2007 she began a small artists' book selling business, Another Room Book Arts, but since this summer is mostly focused on her producing own artist books.