The Vespiary Book Binding & Book Conservation

Lately I’ve been working on an interactive  Google Map of Book Arts, one that includes the location of education centers, private presses, guilds, suppliers, etc.  I started it primarily for myself because I’ve been feeling bombarded by names while diving into the various publications like Bonefolder and Guild of BookWorkers Newsletter.  I needed a map to be able to orient myself.  And besides, now that the map is being populated, it’s fun to imagine a bookarts themed road trip!  If the map becomes comprehensive enough, I’ll release it publicly, so please drop me a line if you have any suggestions.

While I was browsing around, I happened upon the gorgeous work of Kate Hunt, an artist here in Montana.  While she might be technically classified as a sculptor, some of her work definitely falls into the bookart category.  She works quite heavily with newspaper, embracing its ubiquity and wabi-sabi aging process.  I recently started re-reading Tsu ku ru: aesthetics at work, about Japanese craftsmen; how they find and extract the essential nature of the substance they are working with.  Ms. Hunt’s transformation of newspaper into books resembling angel wings or post-industrial totems is inspiring.

She has work at the Holter Museum collection in Helena, so keep an eye out for upcoming exhibitions.  Otherwise, she is represented by Davidson Galleries in Seattle, and Lyndsay McCandless in Wyoming.