John Nelson and Tania Murray
Tewantin, Australia
This project began as a request from one artist to another, to assist in making a set of works;
50 bookmarks seemed the right number for both of us.
The materials used to complete the 100 bookmarks were mostly given to us by others,
and so evolved with time and chance. John would consider himself a fluxus artist.
20 sheets of handmade paper were given to us by printmaker Shirley Strano
at Cooroy Butter Factory; made by unknown artists/ papermakers.
5 bookmarks per A4 sheet, 5cm x 18cm 20 sheets of paper; 100 bkmks
Artist/ papermaker Dion Channer, gave instructions for tearing the handmade paper
Two Nelson Encyclopaedias, circa 1910 Aa to Az and Ta to Uz were purchased from a thrift shop
Many words were unfamiliar, fallen from common usage…
John: single rubber stamp lettering; swirl text images; linoprint and zinc newspaper stamps.
Tania: trodat stamp; swell font/ text machine stitching and carbon lines.
The zinc newspaper stamps were found in the 1990’s by John Nelson, on a vacant
house block in Brisbane, they form a small part of his extensive ephemera collection.
The machine stitching on the bookmarks were made by Tania Murray, using her grandmother’s
small singer sewing machine, the stitching as drawing line, is of trees outside a studio window.
John: 6-10, 16-20, 26-30, 36-40, 46-50, 56-60, 66-70, 76-80, 86-90, 96-100
Tanya: 1- 5, 11-15, 21-25, 31-35, 41-45, 51-55, 61-65, 71-75, 81-85, 91-95
We hope you enjoy reading our bookmarks
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