An excerpt from 'Five Hymns to Pain', 2012
Felicia Rice, USA
| An excerpt from 'Five
Hymns to Pain', Felicia Rice, Moving Parts
Press, Santa Cruz, California, USA, 2012 An excerpt from 'Five Hymns to Pain' is dedicated to the literary and intellectual community of al-Mutanabbi Street, Baghdad. The poem was written by one of the most influential contemporary Iraqi female poets, Nazik al-Malaika (1923-2007), and translated by Husain Haddawy. The selection of this excerpt was facilitated by Beau Beausoliel of the al-Mutanabbi Street Project. The book was designed and printed at Moving Parts Press by Felicia Rice with the assistance of Stephen Acerra and Maren Preston in one week in August 2012. The presentation of this fierce and moving poem as a scroll grew out of my desire to print the entire book on one side of a single sheet. As the project developed, the choice of paper (Japanese Hosho) led to another, the choice of typeface (Garamond italic), and finally to the color palette (dun colors accented with red) and image creation (printed and laid down by hand with a brayer). A desert landscape emerged, sliced at regular intervals by sharp black vegetation. On Monday the book was to be in an accordion-fold format, but by Friday it became clear to all three of us that the piece was a facsimile of a papyrus scroll. Letterpress, relief and hand printing techniques. Scroll book: 8” x 44.75”. Box: 4” 4” x 9”. Edition of 25 Felicia Rice set Moving Parts Press in motion in 1977. Felicia has one foot firmly planted in the 19th century and the other in the 21st. A student of the history of the book and typography, with a futurist streak, she now utilizes digital technology in her letterpress printed artists books and prints. Her collaborations with visual and performing artists, writers and philosophers have led to an exploration of the book as performance art. Felicia has taught, lectured and exhibited extensively. Her work is held in numerous collections and has been the recipient of numerous awards and grants. http://movingpartspress.com |