I WOULD GIVE TO YOU THE MOON AND STARS

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE

I WOULD GIVE TO YOU THE MOON AND STARS is a book I made for the exhibition called CARPE LIBRUM: THE ART OF THE BOOK. This exhibition was at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts on Bainbridge Island in Washington state for the month of April 2015. Thirty three pacific northwest book artists were invited to be in this show and I was so pleased to be included. My little 'hand' book' is photo etched brass....the pages are inkjet printed with archival inks on BFK Rives paper and the overall measurements, with the book closed, are 4" x 7".


This is the back of the book.



I often dream up ideas for my art at night while I am sleeping ... and sometimes I dream of a particular gallery that I like to visit. I don't have a clue if this gallery actually exists ... all I know, is that in my dream, it is at the top of an outdoor escalator and that when you get off of the escalator you turn left and there is the gallery. I have been there many times while I sleep and would so love to visit this place in a waking state. Sometimes, just after I wake, I am visited by my word muse ... phrases or individual words or whole poems spill out of me. This doesn't happen nearly as often as I wish it would ... but a few months ago my word muse did visit and this poem is the result. These words are the basis for my little illustrated book, I WOULD GIVE TO YOU THE MOON AND STARS.

I WOULD GIVE TO YOU THE MOON AND STARS
by shane miller

i would give to you the moon and stars
and all the planets, too,
the comets and the asteroids
i would gladly give to you

the black holes and the nebulae
to hold as long as you live ...
i would give them all to you
if they were mine to give

and yet, i know the space required
to hold a galaxy ... is HUGE ...
... and problems might arise
like star dust and gravity

with that in mind i have to say,
though my options now seem few,
the galaxy must stay aloft
and this book will have to do

Here are a few of the illustrations I created for the book ... CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE.

CARPE LIBRUM: THE ART OF THE BOOK

Friday, April 3rd, is the opening reception for the art show titled CARPE LIBRUM: THE ART OF THE BOOK. This exhibit of artist books will be at Bainbridge Arts and Crafts located on Bainbridge Island in WA state. I am so honored to be one of the 33 pacific northwest book artists to be invited to this show. I am especially excited that CARPE LIBRUM is curated by Cynthia Sears, our very own eminent book art collector and Hidde Van Duym, an arts advocate.

I delivered my three books yesterday and even though the show wasn't officially put together yet, I could tell by the quality of the books I got to glimpse, that this will be a memorable show. Since I am fairly new to the book arts world, I am just pleased to be in such good company. The 32 other artists included in this show are: Sam Garriott Antonacci, Mare Blocker, Lou Cabeen, MalPina Chan, Maralyn Crosetto, Elsi Vassdal Ellis, Timothy Ely, Jules Remedios Faye, An Gates, Donald Glaister, Mari Gower, Deborah Greenwood, Mark Hoppmann, Diane Jacobs, Roberta Lavadour, MJ Linford, Susan Lowdermilk, Dorothy McCuistion, Catherine Alice Michaelis, Suzanne Moore, Chandler O'Leary & Carol Inderieden, Margaret Prentice, Chele Shepard, Donna Snow, Jessica Spring, Carolyn Terry, Barbara Tetenbaum, Sandy Tilcock, Jill Timm, Carolina Veenstra and Sande Wascher-James.

Also, on Saturday, April 4th at 12:30 pm, the curators and staff will offer a guided tour walkthrough of all the books in the exhibit. I am so looking forward to this and hope to meet some of the other participating artists.

A panel discussion about what lies at the heart of this intriguing art form...book arts... will take place at 2pm Sunday, April 12th in the Buxton Auditorium at the Bainbridge Island Museum of Art.