Not A Straight Line 2011
Emily Martin, USA
| ‘My intention with Not
a Straight Line was to recreate the movements of someone
browsing on Al-Mutanabbi Street. The book is comprised of 10 linked
Coptic bound books with one line of the text in each of the books.
To read the book the viewer must find their way along the linked
books that turn this way and that way much as a meandering street
would. The text I wrote is one of defiance, the written word can
be damaged but will always prevail. The text is letterpress printed
and then stained with acrylic paint. The covers are made with moriki paper and University of Iowa flax paper. The individual books are hinged together with walnut crackle paper from Cave Hand Papermakers and housed in a cloth covered hinged box. Letterpress printed on Rives BFK heavyweight paper and then stained with acrylic paint. Completed 2011, 2 inches x 2 inches x 8 inches I originally trained as a painter, MFA 1979, but I have always been interested in using narrative elements in my work. I started making artists books in the late 1970’s. I have an ongoing interest in the artist’s book as a container of content but also as a sculptural object. I began producing artists books under the Naughty Dog Press imprint in 1995 using a variety of print media. I have been teaching book arts at the University of Iowa Center for the Book since 1998. My work is in public and private collections throughout the United States and internationally.  emilyjmartin@mchsi.com www.emilymartin.com |
back