A Book About Books - from Cheryl Penn

[Marie Wintzer]

I don't really know how to start this blog, because no blog can say enough to do justice to this work. Cheryl's Book about Books is an absolute beauty. It won't reveal all its secrets at first glance. You will have to dig in and explore to find out more about it.

The backbone of the book is a map used in aviation, a gem in its own right. When completely unfolded it is probably over a meter long (>3 feet), which says a lot about the complexity of the piece.

Cheryl's idea for the Book about Books was to make a piece that would include some of the major books she has worked on over the years. As you turn the pages you will find the various titles, along with a few lines of explanation, quotes, or poems by the artist itself. Each section contains an envelope where you will find photos of that particular work.

I say photos but they are much more than just photos. Each of them is a well crafted card, with stitching, sometimes layers of paper, text or wax. And I'm not talking about 2-3 photos, there must be thirty of them among all the envelopes.

This book is what would happen if you took all of Cheryl's work and condensed it over a few cubic centimeters. Impossible, but possible! All her lines of work are there, the main themes, it is almost as if you can follow her thoughts, just by visiting each envelope and the text that accompanies it. 

For anyone who is interested in digging a little bit deeper it gives away quite a lot about the various techniques she is using. The pictures of course will tell you a lot about layering, the concept of Re-, where she finds inspiration and how she deals with it, and you can even find a lot of cues in her poems.

It's a real privilege and honor to have this book. Thank you is not really the word I am looking for, you know this. The Book about Books will never be done, and one will never be done reading it. To finish I would like to credit the following stars, and they ARE stars!

Autobiography / The Diary Book / Memory Holes

Needle Girls

Paper Palimpsest

The Burning Shore

A Book About Books

The Tinder Box

The World is a Town

And Then They Were Three

Collaborative Vispo Books at the IUOMA

... and I probably forgot a few along the line

[vizma bruns]

I love the photos of the photos of Cheryl's books in her book!

Funny Marie! ;-)

[Marie Wintzer]

Thanks for the hijack! I love those maps. I'm not sure what a memory hole looks like. I can't remember.

:-))

[Alicia Starr]

shining. Cheryl's words hold equal weight to her images. Masterful creation Cheryl. Marie and Kat, your blogs are so, so thoughtful. much appreciated.

Is a 'memory hole/whole' like a black hole?  

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Whew! Time to stop and take a breather...there are "spaces to breathe" in Cheryl's book!

...and places to journey quietly, serenly across maps of South African places

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

A Book about Cheryl's Books:

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

And wonders to behold in those envelopes! Each opening another fantastic treasure:

(fantastic fibers and flowing threads, of course!!)

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Actual  painted masterpieces for the hard front and back covers...with that wonderful aroma of oil paint and varnish medium...mmmmmm, so nice!

[Katerina Nikoltsou (MomKat)]

Yes, WoooooW! The Book about Books has arrived in Greece! thank you soooo much, Cheryl! xxx

A true masterpiece, and this Greek genki is going to hijack :-0

All that Marie says is sooo true...beautiful folded pages with added 5 envelopes and 14 card with 22 images!

A book about JOEY?

no, The BOOK JOURNEY! and with that wonderful map...

[Carina]

Wow, just great, love the way the map is used... everything!

[cheryl penn]

Glad to see the Holism Manifesto. I am working on one too - just as well you didn't cover the hole story.