Sunday, June 12, 2011

Sweet Surrender

We got some good news here in the Dempster-Smith household during the week. We had both entered the East Gippsland Artist Book Award 2011  Books... beyond words - evolution and this week BOTH received the happy email saying our books had been accepted!

It's always nice to be included - and a bit sad when you're not.  It's also good to still be in the mix where there are a couple of good prizes going!

Barry's lovely "Spiral" book will be heading south as will my metal book "Surrender".

After a wickedly cold afternoon yesterday; the sun shone a bit today so I took a couple of photos before both the sun and the book disappear.

The cover is engraved freehand using a Dremel (done with last year's broken finger); and the internal words are punched or stamped into the metal. What I love about these images is that they make the stamped letters look more as if they are embossed; coming out of the page towards you rather than having been pushed into page. Intriguing.





The book speaks of surrendering to the elements and to time; letting them do what they will as we submit to their forces...

18 comments:

  1. wow!! that's a really beautiful piece of work and made even more so by the natural elements! simple yet powerful! congrats on being selected :) they would be a fool not to select this beauty!!

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  2. Fiona,
    This book is stunning. How could it not have been selected? The idea of punching type into metal like that has given me an idea for something I am working on. May I adapt the technique and use it in some way? It is just wonderful.

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  3. Congratulations! Such a wonderful book too. Love that you used rusted elements to make a book about surrendering to the elements.

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  4. Congratulations to you both! Love this book. It is simple and yet so effective and as Luthien commented, powerful too.

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  5. Warm congratulations to you both! Well deserved and well done.

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  6. Love how you've recreated age and wear on these pieces.

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  7. Well done Fiona! How lovely for you both. Congratulations!

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  8. How exciting! And, might I add, well deserved. The textural elements of this book are beautiful.

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  9. Interesting to know that there are lots of books out there that are not just paper. This is a great concept. Congratulations to you both.

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  10. i do like this book. congratulations, fiona (and barry, too!). good news, indeed!

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  11. mmm lovely book - I really like that punched type!

    its so nice to think that there will be a whole mess of BAO peeps in the show too isn't it... I just wish I could get to SEE some of these booky exhibitions.... sigh....

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  12. What a wonderful bunch of supportive notes! Thank you all so much!

    Luthien - thanks I like that it appears simple yet powerful. It's deceptively strong I think.

    Lesley - of course go ahead! Do! We played with this at the workshop the other week...

    Jennifer - yes the rust and Surrender work together don't they. It's partners are Succumb and Submit.

    Thanks Robyn - Barry is chuffed too! I like that it also reads as a book...the pages turn...

    G/TT - thanks so much - little pieces of good news here and there across the globe.

    Annie - the pages were pretty much like that when I came across them; I love how some of the rust peels off the words...

    Thanks Amanda - I hear you'll be there as well?!?! Paris is sounding delightful!

    Thanks Jo - there is a richness to the textures; I'm pleased you like it.

    Yes Jo; I love paper but I also like books without it! Barry's is an intriguing one I think.

    Thanks V -lovely to have your good wishes for us both.

    Ronnie - yeah, pretty cool for the BAO folk; like you I doubt we'll make it down there but it would be a good one to see I think.

    Trace - thank you - it somehow works and is lovely in its rustiness.

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  13. Beautiful work Fiona and congratulations to you both on being selected. I love the rust.

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  14. Thanks Angela - yes there is a world of folk out there with the love of rust! Thanks for your kind words.

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  15. Congrats to you both! Beautiful book!

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  16. What a fabulous piece of art!!! It may look simple but there are lots of elements that required great skills.

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  17. OTL - thank you, I like the book too!

    Svetlana - thanks for stopping by and commenting; it is a simple book with quite a bit in it if you think about it...glad you enjoyed and appreciated it, go well

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I appreciate your thoughts and comments; thanks for taking the time.