Marquand Books Blog http://marquandbooks.com/blog/ en jeremyl@marquand.com Copyright 2012 2012-02-01T19:07:44+00:00 Project Highlights: John Frame http://marquandbooks.com/blog/project_highlights_john_frame/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/project_highlights_john_frame/#When:19:07:44Z

Ed Marquand

Three Fragments of a Lost Tale: Sculpture and Story by John Frame reminds us that an exhibition book can be mysterious, enigmatic, and haunting—and satisfy all on its own.

John Frame creates figurative wooden sculptures, each with individual character, motivations, and behaviors. He then constructs elaborate sets and uses his sculptures as actors in stop-action films inspired by classic Czech animators.

Frame is currently working on his final film, The Tale of the Crippled Boy. The project had its beginnings in a dream: Frame was jolted awake by what seemed like an unfolding story complete with cast and scenes. The film is now his next body of work and, he says, may carry him through the remainder of his lifetime.

Marquand Books produced this small book for the Huntington Library, Art Collections, and Botanical Gardens, which showed the exhibition last spring. The book is edited by Kevin M. Murphy and Jessica Todd Smith, features an essay by David Pagel, and presents John Frame’s photography of his sets and sculptures.

Visit John Frame’s website for a rich preview of his astonishing work and be sure to attend the upcoming exhibition at the Portland Art Museum in Portland, OR, opening February 18.

 

Photograph by Jeremy Linden

 

 

 

]]> 2012-02-01T19:07:44+00:00 Project Highlights: Samurai Armor http://marquandbooks.com/blog/art_of_armor_samurai_armor_from_the_ann_and_gabriel_barbier-mueller_collect/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/art_of_armor_samurai_armor_from_the_ann_and_gabriel_barbier-mueller_collect/#When:22:27:34Z Ed Marquand

Few art forms are as universally popular as Japanese samurai armor. Graphic, bold, refined, and theatrical, this exquisitely crafted material has inspired designers and artists for centuries. From Yoshitoshi, the father of modern Japanese manga style, to George Lucas's iconic Star Wars costuming, its influence is thoroughly integrated into our cultural aesthetic.

Marquand Books produced English and French editions of Art of Armor: Samurai Armor from the Ann and Gabriel Barbier-Mueller Collection. Published in association with Yale University Press, this 320-page book showcases more than 300 images. These illustrations allow readers to see the intricacies of samurai armor, and captions include the weight and measurements for each piece. Jeff Wincapaw of Marquand Books designed the book, and Brad Flowers photographed the work. Essays were written by John Anderson, Ian Bottomley, Sachiko Hori, Gregory Irvine, Eric Meulien, Morihiro Ogawa, John Stevenson, and Stephen Turnbull; Bernard Fournier-Bourdier authored the catalogue entries.

The Barbier-Mueller collection is currently on display at the Musée du quai Branly in Paris until the end of this month. The show then opens in April at the Canadian Museum of Civilization in Quebec and will be on view until January 2013. In Dallas, the Barbier-Muellers renovated a former Catholic school into a handsome museum, where the collection will be permanently housed.

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]]> Books, New Releases, Project Highlights 2012-01-25T22:27:34+00:00 Paper Jewels http://marquandbooks.com/blog/paper_jewels/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/paper_jewels/#When:21:45:59Z Visit Paper Hammer Gallery this weekend for a preview of the new exhibition, "Paper Jewels," featuring jewelry transformed from paper to wearable art.

Artists include:

Alejandra Koreck (Buenos Aires, Argentina)

Sabrina Meyns (County Waterford, Ireland)

Sara Owens (Seattle, WA)

Cynthia Rohrer (Oakland, CA)

Midori Saito (Seattle, WA)

Laura Wood (San Antonio, TX)

 

“Paper Jewels”                 

Preview dates: Friday, January 13, 2–6 p.m.; Saturday, January 14, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, January 20, 2–6 p.m.; Saturday, January 21, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.; Friday, January 27, 2–6 p.m.; Saturday, January 28, 11 a.m.–6 p.m.

Opening reception: Thursday, February 2, 2011, 5–7 p.m.

Paper Hammer Gallery shares space with Marquand Books at 1400 Second Avenue in downtown Seattle.

]]> Opening and Closing 2012-01-10T21:45:59+00:00 A Museum of Museums http://marquandbooks.com/blog/a_museum_of_museums/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/a_museum_of_museums/#When:21:18:15Z

“Visit more museums.” That resolution is bound to be included on the 2012 lists of a lot of people. The experience of viewing art—especially in a culture of economic crisis and cultural change—can be engrossing, challenging, and even comforting. However, actually getting to some of the world’s best collections in Spain, Germany, or the Netherlands can be tricky.

Last year, Google developer Amid Soot introduced the Google Art Project, an 18-month undertaking that links a number of prestigious museums around the world in a central, web-based “museum of museums.” Work from institutions, including the Frick Collection in Manhattan, the National Gallery in London, the State Hermitage Museum in St. Petersburg, and the Palace of Versailles in France are featured at www.googleartproject.com. 

Recently, Soot presented at a TED: Ideas Worth Spreading conference, to talk about the technology and logic behind the Google Art Project.

]]> While online museums can never replace the visceral experience of viewing art inside a brick-and-mortar institution, visiting the Google Art Project offers a well-crafted, intimate opportunity to browse the collections of important museums. The image resolution and quality of the featured works is remarkable, and scrolling across the paint cracks and details of major paintings is downright fun. The accessibility visitors have to this “museum of museums” is what works best about the site. With just a click of the mouse, art is made available and museums are promoted as both educational and inclusive.

]]> Art & Design 2012-01-05T21:18:15+00:00 Tangerine Dream http://marquandbooks.com/blog/tangerine_dream/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/tangerine_dream/#When:17:42:42Z

Seattle-based Pantone colorist Leatrice Eiseman recently led a team in choosing the optimistic "Tangerine Tango" as the 2012 color of the year. The hue is sure to reach racks of sweaters at H&M in the next few months, but will graphic designers follow the trend? 

]]> Art & Design 2012-01-03T17:42:42+00:00 A Very Pantone Holiday http://marquandbooks.com/blog/a_very_pantone_holiday/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/a_very_pantone_holiday/#When:17:07:09Z Here's a bright idea from Studio Badini Createam, a design firm based in Italy:

The Marquand Books staff would like to wish you and yours all the best this holiday season!

]]> Design Ephemera 2011-12-19T17:07:09+00:00 An American Master Rediscovered http://marquandbooks.com/blog/an_american_master_rediscovered/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/an_american_master_rediscovered/#When:21:15:05Z

An exhibition at the Delaware Art Museum honoring the life and work of American illustrator and author Howard Pyle is on display now until March of next year. The Wilmington native garnered recognition for his work before his death in 1911 at the age of 58. In fact, the Delaware Art Museum was first established in the 1910s in order to house and display Pyle’s work.

Pyle’s classic 1883 book “The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood” remains in print. His art was widely reproduced in periodicals, including Collier’s Weekly and Harper’s Monthly. In addition, Pyle illustrated the writing of classic authors, including works by Robert Louis Stevenson and Mark Twain.

]]> Pyle was an instructor at Drexel in Philadelphia, prior to establishing his own training center, the Howard Pyle School of Illustration Art. He went on to teach a plethora of artists, including N.C. Wyeth, Olive Rush, and Philip R. Goodwin. Pyle was closely connected to the Brandywine School, was considered a hero by Norman Rockwell, and served as an inspiration for actor Errol Flynn.

“Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered,” a 192-page exhibition catalogue, was designed by Susan E. Kelly. The book is distributed by the University of Pennsylvania Press is available for purchase through their bookstore.

“Howard Pyle: American Master Rediscovered” is on view until March 4, 2012. For full details, visit the Delaware Art Museum website. 

]]> 2011-12-15T21:15:05+00:00 Bibliophiles are Buying http://marquandbooks.com/blog/bibliophiles_are_buying/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/bibliophiles_are_buying/#When:20:32:45Z In case you missed it, there was an upbeat article in the New York Times yesterday reporting better-than-expected holiday sales this year at bookstores across the country:

Facing economic gloom and competition from cheap e-readers, brick-and-mortar booksellers entered this holiday season with the humblest of expectations. But the initial weeks of Christmas shopping, a boom time for the book business, have yielded surprisingly strong sales for many bookstores, which report that they have been lifted by an unusually vibrant selection...                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      

Booksellers are noticing that photography and coffee table books are selling particularly well.

]]> Bookselling 2011-12-13T20:32:45+00:00 Keepsake http://marquandbooks.com/blog/keepsake/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/keepsake/#When:23:29:33Z The staff of artisans at Paper Hammer in Tieton, WA, create personalized photo box albums perfect for storing and preserving family heirlooms and mementos. This Saturday, December 10, Ed Marquand will be taking custom orders at the Paper Hammer shop in downtown Seattle from 12:30 until 5 p.m. Customers can choose details, including paper and cloth color. Some examples of our personalized work are below. To secure an appointment this Saturday or next week, contact us at 206-682-3820.

Easel Books were originally designed for the Seattle Art Museum Store for SAM's spectacular Luminous exhibition. These elegant, handmade objects allow you to curate, rotate, and admire single display items. We make them in a series of colorways without images, or they can be customized. Store and display up to three dozen postcards, snapshots, quotations, or mementos. Acid-free paper; constructed in our Tieton, WA bindery.

In addition, Paper Hammer offers handmade journals perfect for artists, writers, students, and professionals. Our online store and brick-and-mortar location near Pike Place Market are stocked with design objects including handmade jewelry, found antiques, and letterpress ephemera. Garland letters can make unique tree trimmings, gift tags, and holiday decorations. All domestic orders over $50 ship free.

Paper Hammer is located at 1400 Second Ave. at Union.

 

]]> Art & Design 2011-12-08T23:29:33+00:00 Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence http://marquandbooks.com/blog/expressions_of_innocence_and_eloquence/ http://marquandbooks.com/blog/expressions_of_innocence_and_eloquence/#When:21:46:34Z

The New York Times named our book Expressions of Innocence and Eloquence: Selections from the Jane Katcher Collection of Americana, Volume II a recommended art gift book this year. The hearty and handsome collection is a great gift idea for folk art fans and history buffs. Both volumes I and II are available on the Yale University Press website.

 

]]> Awards, Books 2011-12-06T21:46:34+00:00