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The Guild of Book Workers was founded in 1906 in America
to "establish and maintain a feeling of kinship and mutual
interest among workers in the several hand book crafts"
Among its early members are well-known artist-craft workers
such as bookbinder Edith Diehl and printers and typographers
W.A. Dwiggins and Frederic W. Goudy. The Guild still
believes, as did its founders, that there is a
responsibility among civilized people to sustain the crafts
involved with the production of fine books. Its members hope
to broaden public awareness of the hand book arts, to
stimulate commissions of fine bindings, and to stress the
need for sound book conservation and restoration. A century
later that mission continues to drive the Guild's activities
through the activities of its regional chapters,
exhibitions, publications, and the annual Standards of
Excellence seminars.
Opening on September 20, the Grolier Club of New York is
proud to present the Guild of Book Workers' 100th
Anniversary Exhibition. The exhibition, consisting of both a
juried selection drawn from the Guild's approximately one
thousand members, and a historical retrospective of work
produced by the Guild, will reflect the maturation of this
venerable organization and highlight its many contributions
to the book arts. From a small group originally based in New
York, the Guild has now evolved into a national organization
whose members' activities encompass artist's books,
bookbinding, calligraphy, conservation, and decorated
papers. As it marks its centenary, the work produced by
Guild members has evolved from being primarily focused on
the art of traditional "fine" binding in leather with ornate
gold tooling to more conceptual works embracing the artists'
book movement, embracing sculptural books and innovative
structures.
The 100th Anniversary Exhibition consists of two parts. The
Retrospective of work by notable Guild members from the
group's inception to the present was curated by
bookbinder/conservator Peter Verheyen, and the traveling
exhibition of contemporary work was juried by book artists
Karen Hanmer, Richard Minsky, and Don Rash.
The retrospective portion of the exhibition showcases the
rich diversity of backgrounds, talents and interests that
has been a hallmark of Guild membership. Among the works are
Richard Minsky's controversial Birds of North America
and the ur-flagbook, April Diary, by Hedi Kyle. Other
works highlight the English, French, and German traditions
of bookbinding as represented by Don Etherington, Deborah
Evetts, Monique Lallier, Louise Genest, Fritz Eberhardt, and
Arno Werner, who among many others contributed much to the
North American tradition of binding through their teaching
and work. Also represented are the creative works of
conservators, calligraphers, and decorative paper makers,
many of who are skilled in a number of aspects of the book
arts.
The juried traveling exhibition will highlight the recent
works of many of the bookbinders and book artists who make
up the membership of the Guild. Entries run the gamut from
traditional bindings and historic structures, to pop-ups and
other playful book forms, to purely sculptural works.
Leather bindings stand alongside works fashioned from
aluminum or PVC. Text and imagery are produced by numerous
printmaking methods, calligraphy, photography and digital
output. The broad range of content is another reflection of
the diverse interests of Guild members: classic texts,
political viewpoints, personal histories, and the sensual
experience of reading a book.
The Guild of Book Workers 100th Anniversary Exhibition will
be on view at the Grolier Club from September 20 - November
25, 2006. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10 AM - 5 PM. Open to the
public free of charge.
A full color catalogue
(8½ x 11, 112 pp.) illustrating each entry in both the
retrospective and contemporary exhibitions, will be
available at each venue at a retail price of $28 while the
work is on exhibit, and online from the Guild's website at
http://palimpsest.stanford.edu/byorg/gbw/, or from the Guild
of Book Workers, 521 Fifth Ave, New York, NY 10175-0038. The
complete exhibition, along with a catalogue order form, is
available online at the Guild
of Book Workers' website.
LOCATION AND TIMES: Guild of Book-Workers 100th Anniversary
Exhibition will be on view at the Grolier Club from.
September 20 - November 25, 2006. Hours: Monday-Saturday 10
AM - 5 PM. Open to the public free of charge.
For more information e-mail Megan
Smith at the Grolier Club.
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