Talespin.
Granary Books, 1995. Item #GB_33
8 1/2 x 11 in., 44 pp., cloth over boards.
Inspired in part by the melodramas and mysteries published in popular magazines in the 1880s, Susan Bee’s Talespin evokes a contrasting sensibility: images of childhood mingle with the unexpected dangers and pitfalls of adulthood. The theme that emerges from this stream of associations is a Blakean loss of innocence and gaining of experience, with a healthy dose of feminism and postmodern irony thrown in. Fractured nursery rhymes and distressed images are juxtaposed with new and found images, realizing a brightly colorful and imaginative transformation of the illustrated book. The sub themes of the book are violence, desire, romance, procreation, sex, birth, death; expressionism leavened with grains of humor and fantasy.
Susan Bee’s collages were printed offset on Rives BFK, then handpainted. Bound in cloth over boards by Daniel E. Kelm and staff at the Wide Awake Garage. This is from an edition of 40 copies, of which 10 are hors commerce and 30 are for sale, signed by the artist. Out-of-print. As new.
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ABOUT SUSAN BEE
Further reading: Elliot, Joe. “BACK TO BASICS: 3 Primers from Granary Books.” The Journal of Artists’ Books, (Spring 1995): 16-19. Text available on our site.
Price: $3,500.00