i know i know i know…i should be taking a painting class. but when the memphis college of art catalog came, the book-making class just sounded like too much fun to pass up. (mr. jones, however, was a touch disappointed to find that it did not involve gaining the inside track in the office basketball pool…an obsession of his further strengthened by his beloved memphis tigers just this minute making it into the ncaa’s final four!)
our stellar instructor, katey henriksen, is the best: patient, funny, and so very accomplished. she has taught us several book-making techniques: the meander, the accordion, the concertina, and, oh yes, the non-adhesive flutter. sewn bindings are next, with book cloth we learned to make ourselves! (more on my exciting fabric choice, below.) she’s introduced us to some wonderful new tools, adhesives, and materials, including my new favorite: the bone folder. (and no, it has nothing to do with that “csi:miami” episode last week. it’s used to make perfect folds in paper.)
there is another reason that i love taking classes at the mca, though…besides the course material, there are so many things to learn and absorb in the studio. while we were folding and tearing, katey mentioned kiki smith, an fascinating artist with whom several of my classmates were familiar, and who had been to memphis not long ago to lecture. then, later in the week (in yet another startling design-related coincidence!) i was paging through the style edition of the recent new york times T magazine when this crazy-fab wallpaper caught my eye, by none other than (wait for it…) kiki smith. take a look, then get the details here.