Techniton Politeia – Interview with Jana Pullman

Tags

About the binding, bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετη βιβλιοδεσία, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, Jana Pullman

Although Book Arts are a constantly growing world, receiving more and more interest – especially in recent years, they remain for the most part unknown to the general public. One of the blog’s goals since its beginning has been to bring people closer to the art and craft of bookbinding and other associated crafts. To make them understood and appreciated.
Some time ago I had the pleasure of doing an interview with Emma Taylor From Within a book. Since then I have been entertaining the idea of more interviews with bookbinders and people from the book arts world in general.
Following the philosophy described above, Dimitri’s Bookbinding Corner will present you with a series of such interviews, which will be less technical in nature and more of an invitation to step into the binderies and workspaces of various artisans and illustrate different kinds of craftsmanship.

Today we have a special guest who was kind enough to talk with me about her experiences and perspective on certain matters as a bookbinder: Jana Pullman.

Jana began working with books in 1983 while pursuing her BFA and MFA degrees in art. She is the owner of Western Slope Bindery at Minneapolis, specializing in custom bindings and repair of books. She focuses her artistic energies on fine binding and participates in book exhibitions. During many years of working in book arts she has been a printer, papermaker, bookbinder, illustrator, conservator and instructor.
She teaches at the famous Minessota Center for Book Arts and various other venues and travels often to give seminars.

Her inventiveness and  long experience in the craft are evident in her work which she showcases at her blog About the binding through numerous pictures and well detailed presentations of the creative process.

In her own words:
My primary artistic work in the Book Arts is in the area of design bindings. I create unique bindings for specific books using materials such as leather, wood, handmade paper and gold tooling. I work with the books to find a design that complements the style of the text and illustrations as well as the intent of the authors.

There is a high expectation of craftsmanship in design binding and this pushes me to improve my techniques and explore new approaches. I am always intrigued by the opportunity to use new materials as well as utilizing historical elements and techniques. Throughout the book’s long history individuals have found many answers on how to work with books and I enjoy exploring that history.

I believe that does it for an introduction – now on to our interview!

– Hello Jana and thank you very much for this bookbinding talk.
You teach bookbinding at the distinguished Minessota Center for Book Arts (MCBA). You are also very active in giving seminars and courses at various locations in the US. Last but not least you own a bookbinding blog the posts of which are full of step by step pictures, thorough descriptions of the process involved and lots of bench tips&tricks.
Sharing the craft is obviously a big part of your life as an artisan. What are the reasons behind such a stance?

When I started to learn about bookbinding I had several wonderful instructors. Soon I thought I too should pass on these methods and understanding of the craft to others. After teaching my first class I found that I enjoyed interacting with my students and telling them about the techniques of bookbinding and my love of books. Over the many years that I have taught book arts classes I have also gotten good relationships with a lot of students.

– Teaching bookbinding, as with any handcraft, is challenging on many levels – can you give us an insight from the instructor’s perspective?

Preparing for classes is challenging but it also gives me reasons to explore new techniques and find ways to present different methods to a class. Over the many years I have taught, I have learned more and have strengthened my own ability to do the work.

– Your work is really diverse, from traditional (historical style) fine bindings tooled in gold to a variety of unique design bindings. What was the most challenging binding project you ever tackled and why would you describe it as such?

A few years ago I was asked to rebind a book of William Shakespeare’s plays in the style of a binding done during Shakespeare’s lifetime. I had to learn more about techniques and styles in the late 1500s. I enjoyed gold tooling prior to that, but this project made me find new ways to improve my work. When I wanted to try a new method of tooling I began by creating another book for myself to see if I had come up with the right technique. So I took a lot more time to practice and then finish the Shakespeare book than I need to do with most of my other bindings, but I was very happy with the work when it was done. This is described in one of my blog posts.

– You are proficient in the use of various techniques, either regarding the structural properties of a binding or its decoration. Which technique would you say is the most enjoyable to you? Can you describe it and mention what makes it special?

For a structural challenge I really like the Bradel bookbinding. This style of binding can be traced back to the 18th century in Germany. The origin of the binding is uncertain, but the name comes from a French binder working in Germany, Alexis Pierre Bradel. It gives the book a strong connection between the pages and the cover. For a design element, the spine can be wrapped in one material and the covers wrapped in another.
Another way to finish the cover is the method known as the “milimeter binding”. What distinguishes the technique is that cloth, leather of vellum trim is added at the head, tail, fore-edges and corners of the case for greater durability while making the book look more elegant. The rest can be covered in a decorative paper.
I have three posts about Bradel bookbinding.

–  You have been in the craft for a long time. What stands out more for you during your journey as an artisan?

I can always learn more about books and improve my ability to make them. I also encourage anyone to look at the history of books because you can find ideas and techniques that can give you inspiration for your own projects. When I see a picture of an old book, I make a drawing of it and then make a few more drawings with variations to give me more ideas for new bindings.

– On a different note…
Despite those who are convinced the book as an object will become obsolete in the near future, it appears there is a slow but steady shift of mentality back to traditional crafts. In an age of run-of-the-mill products people are starting to appreciate once more the quality and uniqueness of a handcrafted item. Bookbinding is also part of this. What’s your view on the matter?

A handmade item has a unique appearance and you can see the artist’s work, which gives it more details and design elements that are not found in industrialized items. When I show my books to people they are always fascinated that it was handmade. I also think they wonder if it is something they could do as well.

– Last question:
Although this re-appreciation of bookbinding has helped in the strengthening of bookbinding communities and public awareness regarding our craft this seems to more evident in well-faring countries. Bookbinding is in decline in Greece (where I live) and from what I hear in many other countries of similar conditions as well. Here almost none is taking up the craft…
With these two different sides of the bookbinding world in mind what would your advice be to an aspiring binder today?

Because bookbinding has a rich heritage around the world you should always look to see what is being done both locally and internationally. The work of other artists can give you new ideas and challenges to move you forward with your work. You can learn a lot from other binders and then pass it on to more people which helps build a bookbinding community that you are part of.

Hope you enjoyed our talk with Jana Pullman! If you haven’t already do spend some time to visit her blog About the Binding and website Western Slope Bindery and get acquainted with her wonderful work!

You can read more interviews at Techniton Politeia.

Marbled Diamond pattern

Tags

Design binding, handbound journal, χειροποίητη βιβλιοδεσία, χειροποίητο σημειωματάριο, δερματόδετη βιβλιοδεσία, leatherbound journal, longstitch binding, marbled paper

Here’s a small experiment of mine; presenting the Marbled Diamond pattern.

The idea behind this journal was to take classic elements, most notably marbled paper, and use them in a way that would look new but at the same time convincing and natural, as if this kind of decoration could have existed as a standard form in the 19th century.

This is the design I had in mind; a diamond pattern onlaid with marbled paper. As far as I’m concerned I have never seen anything like it, however if some experienced or knowledgeable binder/conservator out there is aware of any similar historical binding/s please do share the information (and as a bonus trash my creative excitement in the process)!
On the one hand it strikes me as strange that there aren’t at least a few historical examples of such a design, even as an odd piece or excercise of creativity. Then again, judging by the time and measurements it required, production or time-efficiency wise it is a somewhat impractical design.

I opted for the longstitch because much as I wanted to try the technique I wasn’t very keen on producing a laborious sewn-in boards fine binding.

As you can see I committed the sacrilege of using 2 different decorative papers for the cover and endpapers, a marbled and a paste paper. Before you grimace in disgust and search for stones to throw stay your hand and consider my reason behind such blasphemy; the marbled paper I wanted to use had the grain wrong. So, if it would be used as endpaper it would have to be placed in the correct grain, thus the pattern would be running horizontally in contrast with the vertical pattern of the cover pieces.
I preferred to match it with a paste paper of very similar colors hoping to achieve some relevance between the two designs. It’s not ideal but I suppose it wouldn’t be called “the ugliest juxtaposition of patterns one has ever seen”, to quote Brien Beidler on one of his findings!

As for the verdict, I really like the pattern and the resulting visual. I believe there’s more to it and will definitely return sooner than later for a second go. I also have a couple of ideas that could make it less time consuming and more repeatable.
As an extra note I have to admit there’s something a bit “off” about this specific journal, a few people who saw it expressed the same feeling. Longstitch aside, I attribute this to the blind tooling. I wasn’t sure about it but after completing the marbled diamond pattern the remaining spaces felt somewhat empty so I decided to do some blind tooling as a remedy. Came out a bit too “chatty’ for my taste, should have gone with double gold lines so that an inner linear rhombus would be created in each gap – more discreet.
In any case I look forward in trying the design again, next time on a more classic form.
Until then what do you make of it?

Binding Cicero – Δένοντας τον Κικέρωνα

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bookbinding, Cicero, Design binding, Folio Society, Βιβλιοδεσία, Κικέρωνας, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, μαρμαρόκολλα, leather binding

It’s been a long trip in the company of the famous orator from ancient Rome and I’m happy to finally present you the bindings of Cicero. Are you ready for an extensive reading (you can skip the later half of the post which is more technical)?

I have an affinity for the history and culture of Rome. There’s something special about this city which became the crucible that -perhaps more than any other- paved the way (see what I did?) for our modern civilization. It is the amalgam of mankind’s greatest aspirations and worst inclinations, and the continuous clash of the two elements drove each other to extremes until Rome was torn apart many times. It is amidst the chaos of this clash that Cicero can be found.

At this point allow me to make a recommendation, not related to bookbinding. If you want to get to know about Rome in a way that is both entertaining and accurate watch HBO’s Rome, a two season 2005-2007 series. The series gives the most historically accurate represantation that I know of the era and all that defined it and it is evident that the producers went to great lengths in order to create a full and vivid image of Rome, from its streets to its people, their beliefs and mentality, from the power struggles and glory to everyday life’s small details. Apart from those it is a well-knit and interesting story blending excellently fictional characters which have depth with historical figures and events, with good directing and casting and overall great production value. Try it and you won’t be dissapointed.

Back to bookbinding though. When my client got in touch I was very interested to hear that I wasn’t just going to be binding Cicero but a Folio edition as well. I have talked in a previous post about Folio Society and their wonderful editions. These books would be a joy to bind and I loved the topic as well.

Marcus Tulius Cicero is one of the most important figures of ancient Rome and his intellectual magnitude defined literature not only during his time but in a vast way until today as well. He was a philosopher, politician, lawyer, political theorist, consul and constitutionalist (check the Wikipedia article). His most influential attribute though was his excellence in the use of words. Cicero was one of Rome’s greatest orators, and widely considered among the best throughout human history in general, and his prose and speeches transformed Latin. According to Wikipedia; “he is credited with transforming Latin from a modest utilitarian language into a versatile literary medium capable of expressing abstract and complicated thoughts with clarity”. Quntilian declared that Cicero was “not the name of a man, but of eloquence itself” and Michael Grant said ” the influence of Cicero upon the history of European literature and ideas greatly exceeds that of any other prose writer in any other language“.

He also lived during a most turbulent time; the republic had succesfully expanded a great deal and was about to enter a troubled period that would transform it into an empire. Civil strife, conspiracies and power struggles along with the growth of Rome’s influence defined Cicero and in return he played a key role in the turning points of the city’s history and Rome itself.

We discussed a lot with the client on the details of the binding and what its visual result should convey. However almost from the get go there was a certain idea in my mind; that of a golden river traversing the binding. This came to be the cornerstone of the whole design.

My thoughts behind this element were the following.
Cicero and the events and identity of Rome are intertwined. The design should emit a sense of splendor, novelty, but also of distortion and transformation. The river symbolizes the gradual transformation of the Roman republic (wide beginning at the back cover) to civil strife and power accumulation by ambitious individuals which led to the decline of the Senate (narrower part of the spine), eventually leading to an empire with a single dictator (narrow part at the front cover). At the same time it represents the “flow of words”, the growth and enrichment of the Latin language which is a core aspect of Rome and Cicero’s personality, leading to a finesse peak – a pinnacle of form and meaning. Combined with this visual element Cicero’s name on the spine adopts a narrative role – it shows us that he was pivotal in all that transpired.

The cover however would feel empty with just that. There was need to fill the rest of the binding in a way that displays its content but at the same time remains discreet. The golden river in the middle zone dominates the design, I couldn’t have something as intense – rather the opposite, so in order to celebrate Cicero I decide to blind tool parts of his orations in Latin. The text is in capitals and you can also notice the absence of punctuation – that is how Latin texts were written or inscribed on surfaces. I took exerpts from his speech “Against Catilina”, one of his most famous orations. You can locate the renown phrase “O tempora, o mores” (“what times do we live in?”) in the text.

The final result was two full leather fine bindings gilt in 22 Carat gold leaf, bound in Maroon Valencia goatskin. They feature leather joints, handmarbled paper, handstitched endbands (french, double core, 3 color) from silk thread, blind stamped decoration and gilt leather onlays. I also made two bookbinding cases with velvet interior and covered in cloth.

From here on it gets a bit technical folks. Carry on reading if you’re a bookbinding enthusiast or wish to get a glimpse of how such a binding is made!

There were many things that had to be factored in realizing the design, which proved quite challenging and time consuming. After the book was covered the metal dies for the latin text had to be made. I didn’t trust a hot-stamping machine to make the impression since if something went wrong (for example misalignment) the binding would be ruined. I opted for wet-stamping which is a traditional method of leather forming and would allow more control over the process. The dies would be pressed with a gradual increase in pressure over the leather which would have been moistened right before.

Making the dies to align was one of the major problems I had to tackle, both when designing them and during the pressing as well, so I had to come up with various solutions. They were very large to leave a uniform and equally deep impression so they were pressed in multiple stages, for example first the upper half of the back die, then the lower half, then all over again.
The initial pressing was the most difficult, if the die didn’t leave a deep enough impression over most of its surface then I wouldn’t be able to place it in exactly the same way when the process would be repeated, resulting in a double impression that would totally ruin the binding.

Surface gilding allows covering a large surface with gold leaf. It is a demanding technique and although I had experimented a lot this is the first time I use it on a binding and in such a scale. I’m very pleased with the result – and I rarely feel so.
My guide for the technique was James Reid Cunningham’s article on surface gilding in Bonefolder Vol 6 No1 from the Book Arts Web. If you feel like having a go you can find the PDF at the bottom of this post. It is well written and comprehensive, thorough and accompanied with step-by-step pictures.

Firstly I masked the outline of the area I wish to gilt and applied the glaire, a chemical solution that will bond gold with leather when heated. Applying the glaire is tricky; one has to evenly spread a thin layer with as few brush strokes as possible. Less and the gold won’t adhere, successive or overlaping applications of glaire will show when then gold is applied and using anything but a brush as soft as a baby’s hair will result in poor results.

Applying the gold is stage 2. I used my Polishing Brass tool to do so. The gold is applied in pieces that are heated with the tool in multiple successions until the bonding element of the glaire is activated and the gold melts and blends in the leather. Too much heat and the gold will be ruined, too little and it won’t adhere uniformly leaving non-gilt patches here and there – a disaster!
Another thing that can go wrong is having sharp lines visible at the places where the gold leafs overlap. It has taken me a lot of effort and gold leaf -that thing is expensive mind you!- practicing but I believe the result is great; I challenge you to find the edges of the gold leafs on the finished binding, there are 6 meeting points on each.
The design was also double-gilt; it was gilt entirely and then all over again with a second layer of gold. I found that by doing so the gold has a much deeper color and shine and the meeting points of gold leafs become impossible to distinguish. Double the cost though…

Up close there are small parts and areas, especially on the second binding, with clusters of tiny holes/streaks showing the leather underneath. As can be seen in the pictures of Cunningham’s article that is a result of the leather’s grain and irregular surface. It can be avoided if someone “crushes” the grain using the polishing tool but then much of the leather’s allure is lost…

I was inspired to do the title on the spine in this particular way by Luigi Castiglioni, a very talented designer binder. Spend some time to see his marvelous bindings and “making of” pictures. The general idea is to surface gild a paper-thin strip of leather, cut out the letters and then paste them as onlays on the binding.

I also used my most treasured marble paper, one I’ve been saving for years. It is not visible in the photos but the marbler used a paint that imitates gold instead of some yellow hue, which shines and makes interesting plays with light upon handling.

Last but not least, I used a Valencia goatskin from Harmatan to bind the books. For all you people interested in trying bookbinding leather from them here’s a review of sorts.
I want to underline that my experience has been overall great. There are two things however that I’d like to mention.
First one has to do with leather thickness. I bought 5 leathers two of which where from the Valencia range they offer. Although they were listed as 0.9 thickness, upon arrival I was dissapointed to find out that one of the 2 was closer to 1.5. That is way thicker than 0.9. Not all binders know how (or want for that matter) to pare down an entire leather with a spokeshave and even if that’s not an issue I wouldn’t have bought the leather if it was listed as 1.5. If it was 1.0-1.2 I could make do but that is simply too much.
The second and most important has to do with packaging. The leathers were practically wrapped around with a cardboard, and not a thick one at that. They were shipped to a relative of mine in the UK who then brought them to Greece, so maybe it’s their way of packaging leathers for inland shipping. Nonetheless it is fairly insufficient and any mishandling along the way could easily bent the package and crease all of the skins… Cardboard tubes or triangular boxes are very resilient and must certainly be inexpensive if bought in bulk, can’t really see why they didn’t use one.

These aside the leather was excellent in every way. Great texture, works like a charm, tools and pares very well. My only complain is that while the color is really vivid under natural or strong light it loses most of its intensity and appears almost dark under normal room light. Other than that it is a wonderful leather and a pleasure to work with.

Till next time!

Bonefolder vol 6 no 1

A Matter of Laws – Part III

Tags

bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, law book binding, leather binding, marble paper, onlays

Read here for Part 1
Read here for Part 2

This has been a long and complicated project, mainly because it required the coordination of various things, but the 3rd and final binding marks its end.

The principle of Legality in European criminal law – which was shortened to “Legality”- is a recently published book by Christina P. We talked an extra lot with the client regarding the decorative approach; it should be something that would stand out on its own but at the same time fit in with the other two bindings.

As I was given to understand the book tries to find the balancing point between the need for a sentence and human rights when a crime has been committed. Obviously a topic of great significance and dispute that is unlikely to be ever settled one way or another. How does one find the line where those antithetical factors meet?

If you recall the theme of the bindings intended to make a correlation between Mathematics and the law system. Well, this one screamed for “golden ratio”!
According to Wikipedia “In mathematics, two quantities are in the golden ratio if their ratio is the same as the ratio of their sum to the larger of the two quantities”.
This ratio is represented by the Greek letter phi (φ) which equals 1.61803398875. Φ can be found in/on many patterns in nature, living creatures and man-made objects or structures and is supposed to be aesthetically pleasing. The golden ratio is graphed as a logarithmical spiral and an example of it in nature would be the Nautilus shell.

I did a leather case binding with small colored onlays and blind tooling. I sewed triple colored french headbands and used one of my favorite (hear that C.P.?) handmade marbld papers for endpapers.

Here’s a picture of all three bindings snugly waiting in their travelling case which will be packed to withstand a fall from the Eiffel tower!

You can revisit a Matter of Laws part I and part II to have a look at the other two bindings!

I used my Stylus set, BFM tool, Versatile typeholder and Line rollers for this binding.

Now, what was that thing that Cicero said…

A Matter of Laws – Part II

Tags

bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding

Read here for Part 1
Read here for Part 3

Here is the second of the three bindings revolving around laws and legal matters. Actus Reus is Latin for “guilty act” and according to Wikipedia is “sometimes called the external element or the objective element of a crime, …, (which) when proved beyond a reasonable doubt in combination with the mens rea, “guilty mind”, produces criminal liability“. In other words, for many legal systems a crime to be treated as such needs to comprise of both an intention or motive and some kind of act.

The idea behind this decoration was that a crime is a distortion of “normality”. If one considers society as a continuity of sorts, lines that flow uninterrupted fulfiling a specific purpose each, then a criminal act is a violent alteration that either breaks or diverts those lines in various ways and creates inteference. The image of a seismograph came to mind. The flow is restored when the effects diminish, representing society’s return to normality. Laws facilitate this process.

This is a case binding on a lovely terracota leather with hand-dyed blue onlays. The headbands were handsewn and I used hand-marbled endpapers. I used my Bookbinding Finishing Multitool, Line Rollers and Versatile typeholder to accomplish this design.

A Matter of Laws – Part I

Tags

bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία

Read here for Part 2
Read here for Part 3

Christina P. approached me some months ago with an interesting commission in mind; she and two other people are researchers of a Dutch university and they have been involved in a project regarding criminal laws. The idea was to bind the book each researcher has written during the project.

Bindings of legal content are usually expected to be uninteresting – bound in dull colors and maybe tooled with a small amount of classic decorative motifs, right? Christina, quite the daring spirit, wanted something more design-oriented and so I suggested that we make three design bindings, different from each other but with a unifying theme related to the books’ content. Something that would perhaps be unexpected and -maybe- even thought provoking.

The way I perceive it Laws are an artificial construct of the human mind, a structure that uses axioms and values (whichever those may be) as building blocks and establishes its integrity by the connections/correlations each block has with the rest. A structure that obeys and fuctions through certain rules, thus becoming their proof and projection. There is another thing that works in a similar way; Mathematics. The Wikipedia definition is “Mathematics is the body of knowledge justified by deductive reasoning about abstract structures, starting from axioms and definitions”. What could be more abstract than the concepts of right, wrong and Justice? And is not the strive of the human society to produce a system of laws an effort to somehow “quantify” those concepts by using axioms as a base? I believe that, although there’s room for debate here, the analogy is more than obvious.

Enough pondering though, time for work! Because ideas are great and all but as a craftsman you have to translate all that into something tangible.
The first book is Mens Rea by JΒ. Mens Rea is Latin for “guilty mind” which -again according to Wikipedia- is viewed by criminal law as one of the necessary elements in various crimes.
In order to utilize this as a base for the binding’s design I tried to tackle it on a more abstract level – what would the mind of a criminal look like? I remembered pictures I’ve seen showing the chaotic trajectories of particles and thought it as the ideal representation of the criminal mind. A single thought starts from a point in emptiness until, after expanding enough, it bursts into a thousand different ones that move on unpredictably, a chain reaction. One could say that inspiration and creativity could be described by the very same process, isn’t that ironic?
You can argue that this is actually Physics and not Mathematics, but I tink there’s a certain amount of overlap – you can’t do Physics without using Mathematics. I used particles and their trajectories as a portrayal of quantifiable aspects, kinda like fractals.

In any case I used this image to create the design. The end result was a case binding with hand-dyed green leather and hand-dyed yellow leather as onlays. Onlays are made by thinning leather to almost paper thickness and then carefully pasting it down. There are a lot of different onlay techniques and many ways to perform them.
The endpapers are paste papers from Decopapers. The binding also features double colored french headbands which were hand-sewn. I sewed the yellow parts gradually wider to make a correlation with the design, hinting at the expanding thought which eventually leads to crime.

The blind tooling was performed using my Stylus set, although I did certain parts with the assisantance of a pyrography tool – mainly the end of the small spirals due to their irregularity which prevented me from using gouges. I also used my Versatile typeholder for the lettering.

The second book will follow in the near future, until then cheers!

Don Quixote bindings – Βιβλιοδεσίες για το Δον Κιχώτη

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bookbinding, Design binding, Don Quixote, Don Quixote bookbinding, Βιβλιοδεσία, Δον Κιχώτης, Δον Κιχώτης βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding

This is the last commission for 2014; Two full leather design bindings of Don Quixote.

Δον Κιχώτης από τις εκδόσεις Εξάντας. Καλλιτεχνικές βιβλιοδεσίες όλο δέρμα βαμμένο στο χέρι και με αερογράφο. Χειροποίητα εσώφυλλα και κεφαλάρια ραμμένα στο χέρι με μεταξωτή κλωστή. Διακόσμηση στο χέρι βασισμένη σε σχέδια του Νταλί.

Miss R -the client behind this commission- was very interested in the binding process and we discussed about the various details that lead to the creation of a bound book. At the end it was agreed to make two case bindings but spiced up a bit with some of the elements usually found in fine french leather bindings.

There was a lot of thought devoted to the visual outcome. Miss R. liked my binding of Eliot and its color palette, however I prefer to avoid replicating bindings I’ve made in the past so I proposed this design to satisfy my client but also give the books a unique identity, aiming at a special aesthetic result when the two volumes sit on a shelf.

The decoration was challenging. This Greek edition (now out of print) is, apart from very thorough, full of Dali’s sketches and paintings about the story of Don Quixote. I pondered on what should the covers look like and finally decided it would be futile to try and compete with Dali by making a design of my own, whatever that may be. So the most obvious and reasonable approach was to give Dali the spotlight by reproducing some of his sketches.

The leather had to be dyed in 3 separate stages. First I dyed the green sides because even if I did some slight mistake later it wouldn’t show on the much darker green. Everything went smoothly in the end but hey, better safe than sorry right? Then I dyed the other half of each leather with a light yellow to use as a base color for the airbrushing. When this dried I covered the leathers and brought out my trusty airbrush. I’ve posted a picture of before and (almost) after for you to get an idea. Airbrushing leather is great fun and opens a world of coloring possibilities and techniques. I’ve only tried it a few times and must definitely find time to do some serious/crazy experimenting!

Only downside is that when you use an airbrush the dyes don’t really penetrate the leather, instead they just “sit” on the surface, so a thorough coating with a sealer afterwards is a must.

To give the books a bit of a luxurious touch I sewed headbands with silk thread and used handmade marble paper for the endleaves. I also did some simple tooling on the leather headcaps and my-oh-my it does add character!

To create this binding I used my Stylus set, my Bookbinding Finishing Multitool and my Versatile typeholder.

Lots of work but it has been a pleasure binding these two volumes, quite happy with the result. Hope you liked them as well!

With this post I’d like to wish everyone Merry Christmas and a Happy new Year!

Ode to simplicity – Ωδή στην απλότητα

Tags

bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding

By Joseph Zaehnsdorf.

Για να διαβάσετε το άρθρο στα ελληνικά (to read in Greek) πηγαίνετε στο τέλος της ανάρτησης.

We are accustomed, even addicted one could say, to being impressed. A great deal of the things surrounding us are designed to be eye-catching. If they aren’t our mind ignores them and doesn’t progress in further observation, probably rightfully so since we are always bombarded by tons of information.

By Samuel Ellenport.

In order to be eye-catching a visual stimulus usually includes a plethora of colors, geometrical shapes that are easily recognized subconsciously (the human brain constantly searches for standard patterns), depth through different layers and generally a multitude of information on many levels. All these combined create an overwhelming sense that registers the stimulus as interesting and pleasing.

By David Esslemont.

However, the bindings of this post aspire to please by appealing to the satisfaction granted by simple things; color, shape, texture. A singular vivid green, an intense grain that calls for our touch, simple lines and curves. Things we are drawn to by our very nature.

Image from Bauman Rare Books.

By focusing on those aspects bindings such as the ones you see here emit a kind of “honesty”, less is often more. Do not be deceived, the decorations of these bindings require exactly the same amount of skill needed for many of the lavishly adorned ones out there. Knowing so, a binder capable of producing an immaculate result may choose to prove it by opting for a minimalistic approach.

Of course there are also other reasons for doing so; the book’s content might call for such an approach, it might be the client’s preference, or it might be to show off the excellent quality of a material (leather, paper etc) or the beauty of a particular technique (calf marbling, special dyeing etc).

By Kate Holland.

Although I can’t help but marvel when looking at the sumptuous creations of Sangorski and Sutcliffe (amongst my very favorites) I find something equally alluring in bindings such as the ones presented in this post. Because, while I consider astonishing being able to compose and accomplish a lavish design, I admire perhaps more the ability to arrest one’s feeling by strict simplicity. The skill of removing instead of adding, until only the bear essentials are left.

Of course I’m talking about cases where it was the artisan’s/artist’s intent to achieve simplicity, not when it is the outcome of lack of skill/experience or other restricting factors (unavailability of materials/equipment,  budget constraints, details dictated by the intended receiver etc).

I believe it is always beneficial to devote some effort in appreciating the simplicity of a creation, be it an art or an everyday object. There is a wholeness to be usually found there.

Για το άρθρο στα ελληνικά:
Ωδή στην απλότητα – Dimitri’s bookbinding corner

Binding on the right by Douglas Cockerell.

Georges Simenon – The man who watched trains go by

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bookbinding, Design binding, Georges Simenon, Βιβλιοδεσία, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding

A recent commission, “The man who watched trains go by” by Georges Simenon in Greek translation. Case binding with handmade leather endbands.

I had a somewhat restrictive timeframe for this binding which, along with some other reasons, led to this linear design with simple onlay work. To spice it up a bit I added a few details abstractly hinting at the story; the red onlays and the uneven rail lines are a loose metaphor on the main character’s alteration as the story progresses.

I’ve already written about my affiliation for quirky titles in previous posts. Since I was to tool a ridiculously long title on such a small sized book (hear that writers out there? Keep your titles short dammit!) I decided to incorporate it in the design. The leather was feeling a bit rebellious about that part but my typeholder had a different opinion. Well, guess who won…

The decoration of this binding was made using the Versatile typeholder, Bookbinding Finishing Multitool and line rollers.

Has anyone seen the film adaptation? Any good?

Titus Andronicus – Τίτος Ανδρόνικος

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bookbinding, Design binding, Βιβλιοδεσία, Σαίξπηρ, Τίτος Ανδρόνικος, δερματόδετο, καλλιτεχνική βιβλιοδεσία, leather binding, The lamentable tragedy of Titus Andronicus, Titus Andronicus, William Shakespeare

This binding is available for purchase – contact me if you’re interested.

Dear readers, this is how obsession looks like… Allow me to explain!
A year ago I decided to take part in the international Designer Bookbinders competition the results of which were announced very recently. I signed the form, payed the fee and everything was peachy. The topic of the competition was simply “Shakespeare”, which I found great cause in many cases these competitions are about binding a specific book that all binders have to obtain. While that is certainly challenging I believe freedom of choice regarding the book indulges creativity more and Shakespeare is as inspirational of a topic as it can get.

I acquired (not without trouble) a wonderful copy of Titus Andronicus, Shakespeare’s (said to be) first tragedy. The copy cost some 450$ and was printed in 1901 by the famous Ballantyne press. It’s no surprise they became famous; every single aspect of the edition is astonishing and, along with Leon Bakst, I can say it was the best book my bench has seen so far.

The story of Titus Andronicus unfolds in ancient Rome. It begins with the joyous return of general Andronicus after a successful campaign and slowly spirals into a full revenge-driven blood bath. The story feels in some ways similar to a Tarantino movie (I can hear Shakespeare scholars gasping after this “crude” comparison but that’s how it is!). Overall it was a great choice.

As soon as I got the book a certain design came to mind. It was perfect for Titus and sooner than later I began work. It involved a new technique that I had found by accident. I did countless tests and tried the whole decoration more than once on blanks that were prepared exactly like Shakespeare. Things were going as planned and three months before the deadline I started binding the book itself. However, when it came to decorating the actual book everything was simply a disaster. The technique involved a treating of the cover’s entire surface so there was no room for corrections, I had to do it all over again. I had gained confidence through the numerous tests and practice I did over months so I bound the whole thing again. Once more though the decoration would fail, in a different way this time. I couldn’t get my head around it, I bound it a third time with a similar outcome. It was as if the damn thing didn’t want to be bound! By then I had become fixated and most importantly I was out of time.

The book was bound once more. Now however it was a matter of a day or two to miss the deadline. I had no time to think and prepare something to my heart’s desire. I came up with a different binding, the one you see here. The leather is hand dyed dark grey goatskin sprinkled black to lightly imitate a type of tombstone marble. Romans made ancestral masks by producing molds from a person’s face. Using this as a base of reference and also taking elements from ancient theatrical masks I made a number of onlays that were hand painted and blind tooled. The onlays are thick on purpose to resemble a mask hanging from a mausoleum wall. Some of the masks represent basic characters of the story, if you’ve read the play you’ll probably be able to recognize one or two. The Latin words act as a tombstone inscription of the driving forces behind the play’s characters and were tooled using 22 carat gold. The headbands are made from silk thread.

Although I finished it just in time I never sent it. It was not what I had imagined, it didn’t represent me the way I wanted. Call me excessive and you won’t be wrong, for me it’s either “all or nothing”. Just like the characters in Shakespeare’s play became willingly fixed on something they could stop or avoid I too became obsessed with doing THAT design, which ultimately proved to be a huge mistake. And that’s how an almost year-long spanning chapter closed. The experience was stressful and frustrating on many levels but looking back I have to admit I learned a great deal, both purely technical but also regarding the approach of such endeavors in general.
Fellow binders (or craftspeople of any sort!), care to share your story of obsessive craziness?

I leave you with the wonderful watermark I discovered. It becomes visible if you hold the first blank pages of the edition against a light source. I did some research on the paper and experts informed me that it is of special making. Wasn’t shocked; it was the most durable and pleasant paper I have ever worked with. Till next time!