Bookish – The Art of Paper

You know how much we love books, real books that is, the smell and the feel of them, old and new books, ‘piled up in stacks’ books. We also covet art and design magazines and the more handmade the better, and, oh my, is there anything more spectacular than a limited edition print or a handmade zine?

The BOOKISH exhibition is in celebration of the Print Council of Australia’s 55th anniversary this year, and is devoted to the unique artform of artists’ books which the Print Council defines as:

‘….a medium of artistic expression that uses the form or function of ‘book’ as inspiration. It is the artistic initiative seen in the illustration, choice of materials, creation process, layout and design that makes it an art object… With all sorts of ideas behind them, artists continue to challenge the idea, content and structure of the traditional book.’ – Anne Evenhaugan, Smithsonian Libraries and Archives

Scent of a Falling Dark, Katie Glaskin

Apostle bird family, Liz Jeneid

BOOKISH will also show at Sydney Contemporary’s side gallery Paper Contemporary which is presented in association with The Print Council of Australia. Sydney Contemporary (which has been postponed to November - fingers, toes and ear lobes crossed that this will happen at Carriageworks) will showcase the best of contemporary printmaking and works on paper in this section of their Art Fair.

Sydney Contemporary is Australasia’s premier Art Fair and is now scheduled to happen 11–14 November ‘with the country’s largest and most diverse gathering of local and International galleries.’ Housed at Carriageworks in Redfern, the fair happens over four days and includes curated exhibitions and events, artist talks, video and performance galleries and more. It’s aimed at the serious collector, art lovers and those curious about contemporary art.

Paper Contemporary is now in its fourth year and is well worth the wander. We found the makers there a lovely, friendly bunch, mostly up for a chat and a connection last time we visited. There is always great energy in the ‘paper room’ and they always host an inventive program that includes printmaking workshops, demonstrations, tours and host talks. Like we said, we have everything crossed that this will go ahead in live form!

‘In a globally influenced, culturally diverse world, contemporary artists working in the print making or any other paper based medium today, explore concepts, questions, and practices that examine the past, describe the present, and imagine the future. In light of such diversity, there is no simple or singular way to define the importance of works of art on paper in a contemporary context. It amplifies though, that art on paper is an exciting and critical part of our visual arts culture, and arguably can be seen as the most fundamental, spontaneous, collectible and personally satisfying of all art forms.’ – Paper Contemporary

The BOOKISH works are all for sale and will be posted to buyers after the exhibition. You can find more stunning and well-priced commissioned prints for sale here.

And, check out the PCA’s quarterly magazine title, Imprint. It’s Australia’s only quarterly art journal dedicated to contemporary printmaking, artist books and works on paper, and one of the few publications worldwide dedicated exclusively to the graphic arts.

Part of Paper Contemporary, part of Sydney Contemporary (Carriageworks Nov 11-14) and online here.