Messenger by Valerie Carrigan

Messenger rises from the exploration of wonder—that which we happen upon unexpectedly against a backdrop of the common and everyday. This book was made in memory of the artist's sister who died from cancer. The birds presented in this artist book—a barred owl, northern flicker, bald eagle, pileated woodpecker and evening grosbeak—are messengers, urging us to pay attention. Each bird appeared to the artist at a very poignant time after her sister's death—in particular on the day of the funeral, and at the artist's wedding. Messenger consists of five folios with text by the artist, printed letterpress from polymer plates. Within each folio is an offset lithograph translated from an original monotype by the artist. Feathers are printed in various places on the page, representing the order of the folios. Messenger is printed in an edition of forty, with folios housed in an Asahi cloth-covered clamshell box made by Linda Lembke of Green River Bindery.