vispoeologee (2007 Winter Book)
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
vispoeologee is an eclectic amalgamation of visual literature — a broad term for the disciplines of visual poetry, concrete poetry and post-language writing. In the spirit of Fluxus publications, vispoelogee is a hands-on, gloves-off experience. Inside a utilitarian shell lies a rich array of colors, printing techniques, papers and visual interpretations.
The work of 27 international poets was selected by editors John Bennett, Thomas Cassidy, and Scott Helmes. All three poets, who met via mail art, have corresponded with one another for decades. They are not only scholars of the literary art form, but also practitioners with international reputations. The 2007 Winter Book is available in three editions (Deluxe, Standard and Chapbook), each designed by former Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel. Master printers Allison Chapman and Monica Edwards Larson used a variety of methods to reproduce the work, including letterpress, digital printing and relief printmaking. Helpers arrived from across the artistic community to assist in binding and assembling the editions, fulfilling the tradition of involving volunteers for the final touches of the Winter Book project.
The Chapbook
The Chapbook, numbered 1 through 225, is a 60-page, 7” x 9” hardcover volume with a multi-signature binding. The original pieces from the poets have been reproduced using letterpress or full-color digital printing. Included in the chapbook are a variety of tip-ins, fold-outs, centerfolds, and inserts on a variety of paper: Mohawk superfine, Niddigan, Bienfang parchment, black Bugra, lava red Tiziano. The chapbook contains at least one work from all of the Winter Book artists as well as essays by the editors.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100 and signed by the editors, includes the Chapbook with a special letterpress printed jacket on Italian patterned paper plus three supplemental folios, each 7” x 9”. Folio 1: She Says is a limited edition print of Mathew Rucker’s visual poem, a striking, highly embossed letterpress black print on black Arches Cover. Folio 2 is a selection of John M. Bennett visual poems created using wood type and calligraphic letter forms, reproduced digitally in full color. Folio 3 contains reproductions of two scores by Scott Helmes: Incantation for 6 Voices and Alphabet Haiku for 3 Voices Simultaneously accompanied by an audio CD recording of the works performed. All elements are housed in a custom archival phase box with string enclosure.
The Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition, lettered A through Z and signed by the editors, includes all elements of the Standard Edition plus many scintillating extras, all housed in a black archival drop front metal edged box (12.5” x 9.5” x 3”). The complete Kolsyrat, Vatten, Citronsyrat by Hartmut Andryczuk is a set of 10 digital prints housed in an archival rigid mylar box (5.75” wide x 7.5” long x 1.5” deep). A fourth folio contains all five components of Pig Concert Suite “16” (with quotations) by Serge Segay, and within a fifth folio is a full color digital reproduction of do (not) #5 by Wendy Collin Sorin. The Deluxe Edition also includes four “micro archives” (housed in tan metal edge archival boxes, 4” wide x 2.75“ high x 1.75” deep).
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
vispoeologee is an eclectic amalgamation of visual literature — a broad term for the disciplines of visual poetry, concrete poetry and post-language writing. In the spirit of Fluxus publications, vispoelogee is a hands-on, gloves-off experience. Inside a utilitarian shell lies a rich array of colors, printing techniques, papers and visual interpretations.
The work of 27 international poets was selected by editors John Bennett, Thomas Cassidy, and Scott Helmes. All three poets, who met via mail art, have corresponded with one another for decades. They are not only scholars of the literary art form, but also practitioners with international reputations. The 2007 Winter Book is available in three editions (Deluxe, Standard and Chapbook), each designed by former Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel. Master printers Allison Chapman and Monica Edwards Larson used a variety of methods to reproduce the work, including letterpress, digital printing and relief printmaking. Helpers arrived from across the artistic community to assist in binding and assembling the editions, fulfilling the tradition of involving volunteers for the final touches of the Winter Book project.
The Chapbook
The Chapbook, numbered 1 through 225, is a 60-page, 7” x 9” hardcover volume with a multi-signature binding. The original pieces from the poets have been reproduced using letterpress or full-color digital printing. Included in the chapbook are a variety of tip-ins, fold-outs, centerfolds, and inserts on a variety of paper: Mohawk superfine, Niddigan, Bienfang parchment, black Bugra, lava red Tiziano. The chapbook contains at least one work from all of the Winter Book artists as well as essays by the editors.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100 and signed by the editors, includes the Chapbook with a special letterpress printed jacket on Italian patterned paper plus three supplemental folios, each 7” x 9”. Folio 1: She Says is a limited edition print of Mathew Rucker’s visual poem, a striking, highly embossed letterpress black print on black Arches Cover. Folio 2 is a selection of John M. Bennett visual poems created using wood type and calligraphic letter forms, reproduced digitally in full color. Folio 3 contains reproductions of two scores by Scott Helmes: Incantation for 6 Voices and Alphabet Haiku for 3 Voices Simultaneously accompanied by an audio CD recording of the works performed. All elements are housed in a custom archival phase box with string enclosure.
The Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition, lettered A through Z and signed by the editors, includes all elements of the Standard Edition plus many scintillating extras, all housed in a black archival drop front metal edged box (12.5” x 9.5” x 3”). The complete Kolsyrat, Vatten, Citronsyrat by Hartmut Andryczuk is a set of 10 digital prints housed in an archival rigid mylar box (5.75” wide x 7.5” long x 1.5” deep). A fourth folio contains all five components of Pig Concert Suite “16” (with quotations) by Serge Segay, and within a fifth folio is a full color digital reproduction of do (not) #5 by Wendy Collin Sorin. The Deluxe Edition also includes four “micro archives” (housed in tan metal edge archival boxes, 4” wide x 2.75“ high x 1.75” deep).
This piece was featured in the February 2023 issue of The Fore Edge, a quarterly newsletter from MCBA that highlights new artist’s books and zines for collections, universities, and libraries. If you are interested in receiving this newsletter, there is a sign up available here. Past featured pieces can be viewed here.
vispoeologee is an eclectic amalgamation of visual literature — a broad term for the disciplines of visual poetry, concrete poetry and post-language writing. In the spirit of Fluxus publications, vispoelogee is a hands-on, gloves-off experience. Inside a utilitarian shell lies a rich array of colors, printing techniques, papers and visual interpretations.
The work of 27 international poets was selected by editors John Bennett, Thomas Cassidy, and Scott Helmes. All three poets, who met via mail art, have corresponded with one another for decades. They are not only scholars of the literary art form, but also practitioners with international reputations. The 2007 Winter Book is available in three editions (Deluxe, Standard and Chapbook), each designed by former Artistic Director Jeff Rathermel. Master printers Allison Chapman and Monica Edwards Larson used a variety of methods to reproduce the work, including letterpress, digital printing and relief printmaking. Helpers arrived from across the artistic community to assist in binding and assembling the editions, fulfilling the tradition of involving volunteers for the final touches of the Winter Book project.
The Chapbook
The Chapbook, numbered 1 through 225, is a 60-page, 7” x 9” hardcover volume with a multi-signature binding. The original pieces from the poets have been reproduced using letterpress or full-color digital printing. Included in the chapbook are a variety of tip-ins, fold-outs, centerfolds, and inserts on a variety of paper: Mohawk superfine, Niddigan, Bienfang parchment, black Bugra, lava red Tiziano. The chapbook contains at least one work from all of the Winter Book artists as well as essays by the editors.
The Standard Edition
The Standard Edition, numbered 1 through 100 and signed by the editors, includes the Chapbook with a special letterpress printed jacket on Italian patterned paper plus three supplemental folios, each 7” x 9”. Folio 1: She Says is a limited edition print of Mathew Rucker’s visual poem, a striking, highly embossed letterpress black print on black Arches Cover. Folio 2 is a selection of John M. Bennett visual poems created using wood type and calligraphic letter forms, reproduced digitally in full color. Folio 3 contains reproductions of two scores by Scott Helmes: Incantation for 6 Voices and Alphabet Haiku for 3 Voices Simultaneously accompanied by an audio CD recording of the works performed. All elements are housed in a custom archival phase box with string enclosure.
The Deluxe Edition
The Deluxe Edition, lettered A through Z and signed by the editors, includes all elements of the Standard Edition plus many scintillating extras, all housed in a black archival drop front metal edged box (12.5” x 9.5” x 3”). The complete Kolsyrat, Vatten, Citronsyrat by Hartmut Andryczuk is a set of 10 digital prints housed in an archival rigid mylar box (5.75” wide x 7.5” long x 1.5” deep). A fourth folio contains all five components of Pig Concert Suite “16” (with quotations) by Serge Segay, and within a fifth folio is a full color digital reproduction of do (not) #5 by Wendy Collin Sorin. The Deluxe Edition also includes four “micro archives” (housed in tan metal edge archival boxes, 4” wide x 2.75“ high x 1.75” deep).
Since 1988, Winter Book has engaged artists, designers, papermakers, printers, bookbinders and community volunteers in producing a handmade, limited edition artist’s book featuring poetry or prose by a Minnesota author or editor. The artistry and hand craftsmanship of each Winter Book makes it an avidly collected series, included in museum and rare book library collections across the country and around the world.
Winter Books of the past have featured such treasured Minnesota writers as Robert Bly, Louise Erdrich, Kevin Kling, Bill Holm, Louis Jenkins, Carol Bly, Larry Millett, Patricia Hampl, Judith Guest, Jon Hassler, and Bryan Thao Worra, among many others.
