The Book Restructured: Wire-Edge Binding (Salt Lake City, UT)

The range of books being produced today by artists is truly remarkable. Some diverge wildly from traditional book forms, others play with slight variations. Nontraditional books (e.g., books with thick pages, or books that are sculptural) may require the use of a material or movement not possible with conventional structures. Wire-edge hinging grew out of just such a challenge. This binding configuration utilizes a thin metal wire along the hinging edge of each page. The metal wire is exposed at regular intervals, creating knotting stations where thread attaches one page to the next. The result is a binding that opens exceptionally well and provides the option of producing unusual shapes. This workshop presents various wire-edge structures useful for books, enclosures, and articulated sculpture. Participants produce both a simple codex and an accordion model that forms a tetrahedron. All levels of experience are welcome.

Location/Venue: J. Willard Marriott Library, Level 4, Book Arts Studio
Original website page: https://tinyurl.com/y83fs68v
Cost/Fee: $215
Material/Studio fee: ?

Instructor: Daniel E. Kelm is a book artist who enjoys expanding the concept of the book. He is known for his innovative structures as well as his traditional work. In the mid-1980s, Daniel invented a style of bookbinding called wire-edge binding in order to explore the nature of the book as articulated sculpture. His expression as an artist emerges from the integration of work in science and the arts. Alchemy is a common theme in his bookwork. Daniel received formal training in chemistry and taught at the University of Minnesota and is known for his extensive knowledge of materials. Daniel teaches widely, and founded the Garage Annex School for Book Arts (GAS) in 1990. Most recently, with long-time collaborator Timothy Ely, Daniel co-delivered a lecture on The Alchemy of the Handmade Book at the Getty Center as a complement to the exhibition The Alchemy of Color in Medieval Manuscripts. Examples of Kelm's use of wire edge binding can be seen at danielkelm.com.