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Creator:
Campbell, Ken, 1939–2022
Title(s):
AbaB / written and designed by Ken Campbell during his Brinkley Fellowship in the Department of Graphic Design at Norwich School of Art 1983-4.
Published/Created:
[Norwich, England] : [Norwich School of Art], [1984]
Physical Description:
1 folded sheet ([68] p.) : ill. ; 1496 x 35 cm. folded to 24 x 35 cm.
Holdings:
Rare Books and Manuscripts
Folio A 2009 9
Yale Center for British Art, Paul Mellon Fund
[Request]
Copyright Status:
Copyright Not Evaluated
Classification:
Books
Notes:
"I wrote and artworked the book in three parallel and overlapping lines that run its length disregarding the concertina folds. The centre line records a conversation that took place between 'A' and 'B'. It stands as a proposition for a piece of sculpture, and also floats whisky on 'an ocean made of paper'. The other two lines help or hinder the progress of this notion: all three lines are in expanded or condensed woodletter forms deployed to assist this book's stammering progress from left to right. I had two cases of woodletter, of different printing heights: one Anglo-American, an extra fatfaced serif; the other Didot, a Continental sans serif, very condensed and beautiful. They were so different in their respective fatness and thinness that they represented the polar ends of type design. As an act of cussedness I thought to do a book that brings the two together and see what happens. A formal problem to run."--Artist's website.
Edition of 50. One strip, formed from 17 joined sheets, silkscreen printed in light blue, brown and green by Jim Birnie on Heritage Rag acid-free paper from designs created from wood type. Folded accordion style with first and last pages attached to two pieces of varnished plywood. Green cloth slipcase.
Original archival material related to this work is available in the collections of the Yale Center for British Art, Department of Rare Books and Manuscripts (Ken Campbell Collection, MSS 25).
Campbell, K. Ken Campbell, an artist's books, 2
Facing the page, p. 33
Word returned: artist books by Ken Campbell.
BAC: British Art Center copy is no. 23 of 50, signed and dated by the artist in graphite.
Subject Terms:
Artists' books -- Great Britain.
Imaginary conversations.
Letter-pictures -- Great Britain.
Norwich School of Art -- Publisher.
Form/Genre:
Artists' books -- Great Britain.
Accordion fold format (Binding)
Wood types (Type evidence)
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