Workshop Dates: June 29 to July 1, 2016
Workshop Times: 10am – 6pm
Workshop Location: Bookbarnkat Studios, Santa Rosa CA 95409 (accommodation information will be a link at bottom of page)

Workshop Description: The range of books being produced today by artists is truly remarkable. Some diverge wildly from what we recognize as traditional book form, others play with slight variations. If you’re interested in creating a nontraditional book (e.g., a book with thick pages, or a book that is sculptural), the achievement of your goal may require the use of a material or movement not possible with conventional structures. Wire edge hinging grew out of just such a challenge. This construction utilizes a metal wire along the binding edge of each page. The metal wire is exposed at regular intervals creating knotting stations where thread attaches one page to the next. The result is a binding that opens exceptionally well, and gives you the option of producing unusual shapes.

During this three-day workshop you will be introduced to a number of structures and concepts that will give you an understanding of the versatility and usefulness of wire edge binding, but you will learn and practice the basics by producing a wire edge codex album with these features:  1) a cover carrier that allows a broad range of materials to be used for the covers (the models we make in this workshop will have aluminum covers); 2) text pages; 3) one or two pages that have a mat recess built-in to hold an image archivally; and 4) a gatefold page structure that utilizes a wire edge accordion binding at the fore edge. The last form is the basis for a larger, expanded accordion book structure.

The cover carrier structure is similar to a page—both feature wire edge hinging built into the binding edge—but it offers the option of a cover panel that may be made from various materials. We will keep the cover panel materials and construction simple in this workshop but you will see examples of thin metal, thick metal, book cloth, and painted suede that may spark your imagination for future projects.

Instructor Bio:  Daniel E. Kelm is a book artist who enjoys expanding the concept of the book. He is known for his innovative structures as well as his traditional work. In 1983 he opened his own studio in Easthampton, MA, U.S.A., called The Wide Awake Garage, where he designs and produces artist’s books, interpretive fine bindings, and book sculptures. He invented a style of bookbinding called “wire edge binding” in the mid-1980s in order to explore the nature of the book as articulated sculpture.  Daniel teaches widely, and founded the Garage Annex School for Book Arts (GAS) in 1990, located at the Wide Awake Garage.