Friday, September 2, 2011

Fun Origami

A book of colorful, sculptural elements.This one counts as one of the oddest books we have ever acquired. It is almost difficult to call it a book any longer. Technically, Fun Origami (New York: Sally Agee, 1988) is an "altered book." The artist folded, cut and painted each page of a book she found then laid in bits of cut fabric, interesting papers and even a few snippets of instructions to guide the reader. The final book no longer really functions as a codex. It is very difficult to turn the pages, and it won't close. It has turned into an explosive collage of New York faces, conversations, and political and social statements of the late 1980s: "Nelson Mandela"; "Music on Voyager from the sun blew a bubble between the stars"; "Oh my, so cool, oh my."

Sally Agee earned a BFA from Syracuse University, then became a teacher. After extensive travel, and spending 15 years raising her family, she revived her art career by taking art classes. She says of her own work:
If I must describe it, I think I would say it was divided into textile design, book art, fabric art, and collage. But there is a lot of over lap and mixing, and that is the way I like it. I could never narrow down my interests.
The edges of "Fun Origami," which are colorful and somewhat lumpy.
To look through Agee's altered artwork, come to Rauner and ask for Presses A32agfu.

Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Freak Winds

A booklet titled "Freak Winds."
Souvenir booklet, 1938
Dartmouth dodged the bullet of Irene. For the most part the campus was spared any major damage, though the Dartmouth community is suffering. Neighboring communities were hit hard by the storm, and many staff and faculty are dealing with damaged homes, roads, and bridges. Even more are without power. For many, it was a pleasant surprise to arrive on campus yesterday after navigating through scenes of destruction to find the Green unscathed and awash with sunshine.

An open booklet, filled with pictures of downed trees.
From Freak Winds
The campus did not get off so easily in 1938. "The Long Island Express" ripped through and tore out trees, damaged buildings and crippled campus just as the Fall term was about to begin:
Set in the midst of a shattered and desolate countryside, Dartmouth awoke this morning under serene skies to look on a pitiful spectacle of wreckage on its campus which nevertheless gave no index of the wide confusion and destruction surrounding Hanover and extending over the whole northeastern tip of the United States.
A copy of The Dartmouth, with the headline Damage Wide-Spread throughout New England."
To learn more about the '38 Hurricane's impact on campus, ask for the Vertical File "Hurricane, 1938."