Broadsides

A selection of broadsides from the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here collection.

"Day in, Day Out" printed by Michael Chabot. Text by Abd al-Rahim Salih al-Rahim, translated by G.P. Skratz.

"What's Left for Me" printed by Nadia Chalabi

"On Al-Mutanabbi" printed by Aaron Cohick. Text by Justin Sirois, Arabic translation by Haneen Alshujairy and Kamal Judah.

"For I Am a Stranger" printed by Deborah Cowder. Text by Badr Shakir al-Sayyab, translated by Mounah A. Khouri and Hamid Algar.

"Start Here" printed by Anna Cox.

"Street" printed by Kerry Cushman.

Alumni Work - Toni Woodall

Toni Woodall is a recent Herron School of Art & Design graduate with a minor in book arts. On display now in the library is the culmination of six students work from this course of study. Which has allowed each of them to funnel their creative work through the medium of the artist book which includes letterpress, other printmaking media and papermaking. Each student has been able to use the artist book in ways distinct to their interest and parallel to their major focus of work at Herron or IUPUI.

"The Historical and cultural context of art has been the main focus of my artist research. Art History, Anthropology, Classics and Book Arts has filled my mind with meaning. My exploration of artistic processes has allowed me to explore several of these narratives in an original and personal manner. The process of creating unique works of art has always been a primary focus of my time. Book Arts has given me a platform to bring new life to the forgotten people, places and events." ~Toni Woodall

Alumni Work - Nancy Hoogerwerf

Nancy Hoogerwerf is a recent Herron School of Art & Design graduate with a minor in book arts. On display now in the library is the culmination of six students work from this course of study. Which has allowed each of them to funnel their creative work through the medium of the artist book which includes letterpress, other printmaking media and papermaking. Each student has been able to use the artist book in ways distinct to their interest and parallel to their major focus of work at Herron or IUPUI.

"Artist books give me the opportunity to combine Medieval and contemporary aesthetics. Making books also expands my interest in building technical vocabulary. My involvement with the Medieval time period has shown me that when I do the work well my audience is drawn in and becomes intimately engaged with my work. Once people are engaged witht eh Medieval binding techniques, it gives me a strong platform for my broader narative." ~Nancy Hoogerwerf

Broadsides

Broadsides make up a large part of the Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here collection. Combining text and image onto paper the broadsides are all powerful works that can communicate a lot at a glance.

 

"Reality" printed by Tina Brown. Text by Aram Saroyan.

"In Memory" printed by Inge Bruggeman. Text by Alan Loney.

"TV Terror" printed by Tara Bryan. Text by Huda Al-Marashi.

"This is No Symbol" printed by Kathleen Burch. Text from Zara Houshmand.

"Ode to Mutanabbi" printed by Angie Butler and Lilla Duignan. Text by al-Mutanabbi.

"Grandchildren of Sinbad" printed by Katherine Case and Annie Stenzel. Text byAbdul-Razzaq al-Rubai.

Alumni Work - Megan Coffel

For the summer term Herron Art Library is showing works made by graduated students who earned a minor in book arts. Each graduate has their own cabinet for display in the library. This work was made by the artist Megan Coffel who states:

"Story of a Tree is a star-book/carousel binding about a father and his son. Through the layers of the story, you follow a tree in its journey of death and rebirth. Likewise, you follow the death and rebirth of the family's responsibilities to the forest. The book was made from a series of laser-engraved woodcuts that were then printed on an Sp15 Vendercook letterpress onto tan paper and sewn into the carousel binding. On the outside layer of the book is a piece of leather, possibly pigskin suede, which has been laser-engraved and cut to become a frame for each page. The cicadas on the outside are made with wings made of handmade Abaca paper, which are then wrapped to a hand-cut copper cicada body with polyester string, and finally sewn onto the book with the same string."

 

Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here - Manuscripts Don't Burn by Dan Wood

Manuscripts Don't Burn is an artist book created by Dan Wood and is a part of our Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here collection that serves as a memorial for the March 5, 2007 bombing of the street of booksellers. The book is in a scroll format and includes text from an article about the bombing written by Anthony Shadid. The line itself is spoken by the devil to an author who burned his own writing only to have it returned unharmed in the book The Master and Margarita written by Mikhail Bulgakov. Touching on the idea that written words and thoughts cannot be truly destroyed this piece evokes the futility of anyone who tries to eradicate books from the world.

 

The Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here collection is a series of artist books, broad sides, and prints made by a variety of artists from around the world who were asked to respond to the March 5, 2007 car bombing of Al-Mutanabbi street. A street of booksellers and often considered the heart of Baghdad for intellectuals and poets. The collection is available for browsing online and can be seen by request. It is asked that those interested in seeing the collection wash their hands before interacting with the works, and let library staff know in advance. 

(317) 278-9400

herron@iupui.edu