| Title | Sacramentum |
| Artist / Creator | Elsi Vassdal Ellis |
| Artist's Nationality | United States |
| Place of Publication | Bellingham, WA |
| Publication Date | 2014 |
| Subject | Religion |
| Process / Technique | Archival inkjet |
| Structure / Binding | Ethiopian sewn binding |
| Paper Stock | Nepalese plain and printed papers |
| Number of Pages | 448 pages |
| Dimensions (WxHxD) | 3 x 3 x 3.5 inches |
| Edition Size | Unique |
| Signed & Numbered | Yes |
Sacramentum by Elsi Vassdal Ellis -SOLD!
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My fascination with religion versus spirituality, text claimed holy versus heretical, faith preached versus practiced began when I was 15 in a 7:00 am Seminary discussion of the Article of Faith: We believe the Bible to be the true word of God as long as it is translated correctly (a heretic or called upon by God?). I was introduced to the power of words and their sanctity through translation. The lesson launched my study of the institutions of religion, the expression and application of faith in personal as well as public arenas. This prayer book combines sacred texts from Christian, Jewish, Hindu, Buddhist, Muslim, ancient polytheistic and Native American sources. The text is divided in sections referencing the Rosary. The structure and size allow the reader to use it as a Tibetan prayer wheel-pages fanned in Slinky fashion. Some pages reflect the cacophony of prayers uttered in turbulent times such as these with layered prayers upon prayers, unreadable but efficient when fanned.
Artist Bio
Elsi Vassdal Ellis creates books in a well-equipped studio in the Pacific Northwest. Since 1983 she has produced 121 editions (offset, letterpress, digital, stenciled, punched and cloth) as EVE Press as well 116 one-of-a-kinds. She exhibits nationally and internationally. 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 is currently the chair of the Design Department. She teaches digital pre-press, offset and letterpress printing, graphic design history, and book arts. She has also taught Honors seminars combining book history topics with the making of historical models.