Public Service Announcement

I heard earlier this year that a cover I did for a new edition of The Odyssey from W.W. Norton won a blue ribbon at the New York Book Fair (scroll down to "Quality Paperbacks") put on by the Bookbinder's Guild of New York last March. I think I'm supposed to notify the public about things like this. And so, voila.


For those readers who don't know Homer's odd little tale, the central image is of Odysseus under the gaze of Poseidon, who persecutes him for killing the god's son, the Cyclops (the monster in the upper right) after trying unsuccessfully to steal his sheep (under the lotus blossom, upper left). We've also got a cross dressing goddess of wisdom who likes to give Odysseus advice he can't really understand (Athena, bottom), Odysseus wife Penelope (top), one of her suitors (drinking our hero's wine in his absence), Hermes' feet, Odysseus dog, and one of his crew of impulsive sailors who's been turned into a cow by a witch who Odysseus promptly shacks up with for a few years immediately afterward. On the back of the book there is also a very small view of Ithaca. But you'll have to go find the book yourself for that one.

(as usual, click for a much nicer view)

Prosper the Turtle, Jumping from trains

In 1997 I had just finished art school and was moping around trying to figure out what to do with a suddenly ridiculous seeming degree in fine art. While I mulled it over and tried to think of profound things to make that might get me 'on the map' of the art world I'd been hearing about, I started drawing pictures of a turtle trying to get to his sister's birthday party. My little sister was turning five that year and I decided to occupy myself, in part, by making her a book. I worked on it bit by bit, and finished half of it in time for her birthday at the end of May. That summer I moved to San Francisco and continued mulling my career, my future, guerrilla installations in vacant lots, skateboarding, the intricate differences between pop punk and math rock...and continued with the story about the turtle, anticipating Ella's sixth birthday the next year. I was still making ever more halfhearted versions of the work I'd been doing in school, grand installations using nails and cut up magazines, I was applying for shows, and eventually grad school, but as I sat at my desk in between all this, drawing a turtle having adventures, I could hear a little voice in the back of my head saying " This is what I want to do. This is fun. This makes sense." It took me another year or two, for that voice to move fully into the light, but doing this one single picture book, for an audience of one, was the most important piece of the puzzle that lead me to where I am now: drawing pictures and telling stories for a living (more or less), and adamant that if the work's not fun, it's not worth doing.

Now it's twelve years later. In a few hours I am getting on a plane to go see my little sister graduate from high school...close her eyes, grit her teeth and jump off a train into a new life. If I can manage it I will try to post some collaborative comics she and I did together when she was very young, though I don't know if she'll let me. But whatever happens, this entry is to say Good Luck Ella, Congratulations, and thanks for coming along and giving me the idea.

(The work was all black and white, much later I played around with coloring it, but never finished. Click on the image to read it.)

I´ll be signing copies of Mitologias and Spain´s premier art magazine La Cruda at the Barcelona Comics Festival today, Saturday May 30th and tomorrow, Sunday, from roughly 6-7pm. There´s also an exhibition of art from La Cruda happening in Barcelona at Safia Galeria (Bruniquer,9 Baixos 08012, Barcelona) in which I have a few pieces, including cover paintings from Big Questions. There is a bunch of other great stuff there as well. It´s worth checking out. The poster for the exhibition is below.

I'm out of Ideas. I'm going to Spain to get more

We hung the new show at Lula last night. Kyle Obriot's double exposed poloroids and Todd Baxter's alien world with tapirs. Here are some photos. But you have to go there to get the full impact. Go. Awesome.

Some things to think about, the end of the world, the creation of the world, a guy with sunglasses, some shapes, some thoughts on cereal, and my navel

Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi

The current show at Lula, Nick Butcher and Nadine Nakanishi's paintings and constructions, is on its way down. The work in the bar came out two days ago and the rest of the work comes down next Tuesday. Because you are, after all, reading the blog of someone who makes books, it seemed appropriate to post some of the stuff, much of it book based, that they had in the cases in the bar (for those of you who have never been, the bar at Lula is made from old humidors salvaged from the cigar store that used to occupy the space...so the bar is hollow and covered in glass–we show art there, as well as on the walls). The first two pieces are children's books that Nadine painted in to alter/interact with. As is often the case, the physicality of these is pretty well lost in just zeros and ones, but they're awesome. Here are two of my favorite spreads:


The next three are Nick's, from a blank book in which he did a series of small paintings.



Lastly is a handmade book of what I'll call improvisational screen printing. Nick made a number of small screens with various geometric shapes and used them to create different compositions, ultimately binding them together in the book. Again...physicality, uselessness of computer screens, subtlety, awesomeness, etc etc ad naseum. Following these last book pieces are two more drawing/painting collage type things. Did I mention their posters?

Pictures of Dirt and Grass and Coffee and Cinnamon Rolls

There will be a closing reception and brunch for Pictures of Dirt and Grass (Home Gallery, 1407 e. 54th place) on this Sunday, May 3rd from 12-3 (the work isn't actually coming down until early June, and will still be viewable by appointment). There will be food provided by Lula Cafe in Logan Square, and supposedly I'm going to be talking a bit about the work. So come with questions.
For inquiries about the work or to make an appointment: lauraberlin@gmx.net.