 |
 |
Material Meets Metaphor: A Half Century of Book Art by Richard Minsky August 2 through November 29, 2010 Yale University, Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library Entrance is in the Loria Center for the History of Art, 190 York Street, New Haven, CT Richard Minsky, pioneering contemporary book artist and founder of the Center for Book Arts in New York City, is known for his conceptual approach to hand bookbinding and commitment to changing the perception of the book arts from craft to fine art. He combines a background in Economics with an innovative use of traditional methods and new materials to create sculptural, often political bookworks. His blending of an eclectic mix of interests, from musical and theatre performance to social issues and virtual worlds, remain a hallmark of Minsky's career. This exhibition showcases his editioned (non-commissioned, made in multiple copies) bookworks alongside selections from the Richard Minsky Archive, which documents the history of his career and his working process. This exhibit is free and open to the public. Summer hours are Monday through Friday from 8:30am to 4:45pm. In September the library will be open to the public until 6pm Monday through Thursday. Of particular note is the 2009 work, Freedom of Choice: Three Poems of Love and Death by Lucie Brock-Broido, which pushes Minsky's "material meets metaphor" philosophy to the extreme. The book is printed inkjet on J. Barcham Green 1976 handmade paper, bound in dark teal goatskin with 23K gold title, chained to an oak electric chair. For the full experience, the reader can strap on the head restraint with three electrodes, applying one electrode to the leg. An MP3 player on the head restraint plays Minsky's reading of the three poems, two of which concern shotgun suicides and one, an electrocution. On the back of the chair is a cabinet containing a 20 gauge shotgun, a Manila hangman's noose, a wakizashi sword, razor blades, poison and a hypodermic syringe. Readers are invited to experience Freedom of Choice when the Arts Library Special Collections reading room is open. For images of the exhibition visit http://minsky.com/yale_2010.htm Jae Jennifer Rossman Assistant Director for Special Collections Robert B. Haas Family Arts Library Yale University 180 York Street New Haven, CT 06520 203.432.4439 203.432.0549 (fax) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mail submissions to [log in to unmask] For information about joining ARLIS/NA see: http://www.arlisna.org/join.html Send administrative matters (file requests, subscription requests, etc) to [log in to unmask] ARLIS-L Archives and subscription maintenance: http://lsv.arlisna.org Questions may be addressed to list owner (Judy Dyki) at: [log in to unmask] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~