Featuring Contemporary Taiwanese Artistic Books, Indian Suggestions show and more..

FEATURE

Contemporary Taiwanese Artistic-Books 

The recent introduction of the “Art-Book” practice by Taiwanese artist/art educator Dr. Wendy Lai is now emerging as a fresh objet d'art of this decade, observes Ritwij Bhowmik

(Dr Wendy Lai Art book)

(Paper Window books by Dr Wendy Lai)

A creative handmade book, that looks like a complete three dimensional art object and/or serves other fascinating commercial usage, is popularly named ‘Art- Books’ or ‘Artistic-Books’.  The ‘Book-Design’ can be traced back till the ancient civilization and then at a later stage in medieval period, when religious books were made with distinguished ‘binding and calligraphic’ designing. In the modern and post-modern era, book designing became a part of ‘Graphic Designing’, where it combined text, illustration, photography, printing, binding and substantial advertisement / expressive ideas. In USA, Australia and many other European countries ‘Art- Book designing’ developed as a new form of art practice, parallel to conventional studio art practices, like painting and sculpture. But in Asia, ‘Art- Book designing’ is not too popular and only saw a few independent attempts, one of them is surely by Dr. Wendy Lai, who with her indefatigable endeavor, is single-handedly popularizing this amazing art form in Taiwan.  

( Art Book)

Dr. Wenshu Lai ‘Wendy’ (賴雯淑) is a currently teaching as an Associate-Professor at the renowned Institute of Applied-Arts (應用藝術研究所), National Chiao Tung University in Taiwan. Dr. Wendy Lai started her initial art-training at the Chinese Culture University in Taipei; afterwards she went to USA and obtained first a M.A. Degree in Art-History (1990 – 1992) and then another MFA in Art/Design (1992 – 1995) from the School of Art and Art-History, University of Iowa.  She further received Ph.D. in ‘Art Education’ (1995 – 2001) from the College of Education, University of Iowa, USA. After completing PhD, she taught at the Angelo State University in Texas (USA) as an ‘Assistant-Professor of Art’ before moving to her homeland Taiwan to teach some new art techniques.  At the Institute of Applied-Arts her main teaching areas are Visual-Communication, Visual-Culture, Art Education and Aesthetics; so far 4 Doctoral students (in Visual-Communication/Visual-Culture major) successfully obtained their PhD under her guidance. 

(Art work by Dr Wendy Lai)

She started creating “Art-Books” during her Art-college days in USA and widely exhibited her works. A few years after joining Institute of Applied-Arts, Dr. Lai first introduced the ‘Art-Book’ designing as an ‘elective’ course for the post-graduates; it was a first of its kind course and I was fortunate enough to be a part of the very first batch of ‘Art-Book Designing’ course. This rigorous four months course is comprised of both theoretical and studio based practical book-designing. In theoretical, students get to know the ‘book-design’ history since the medieval Europe, how it developed in the modern to post-modern era and finally a look at the contemporary ‘Book’ designers. 

( Dr Wendy Lai at her University Office -Studio)

In practical class, Dr. Lai teaches basic techniques – Accordion Binding, Pamphlet Binding, Japanese 4-hole Binding, Pamela Spitzmueller’s ‘Mechanical Thightback’ and ‘Long/Link Stitch Binding, Archival style Binding, Coptic Binding, Triple Chain/woven chain/side bow/coiled line sewing, dash sewing and cloth mounting. 

( Art Book)

Dr. Lai, for her own works, prefers various types of handmade papers, leather, silk, wood, copper, threads, yarns, bromide, and various other materials. After basic training, students are encouraged to experiment with these techniques and even invent new ones to generate their own ‘Art-Book’. Since the very first day, “Art-Books” became the most popular course among the students, as much as now Dr. Lai has to teach this class in two groups (each with 15-20 students). Students under Dr. Lai’s kind guidance yielded some amazing art-works, which they exhibited in Taiwan and abroad. Some of them are determined to make it as their career option, such as M.A. (Applied-Arts) second year students - Ms. Szu Yu Liu, Ms. Hui Tzu Peng, who are now successfully producing art-works for a renowned Taiwanese Design Company.  

( Art Book by Dr Wendy Lai)

Although this new form of studio-art practice has been existing in the west for long now, these attempts are new for Asian Art-scene. These Art-objects, along with their inner aesthetics also have a useful, handy commercial value, which makes them unique and exclusive in this age of ‘multimedia’ and ‘digital art’. We can hope the “Art-Books” practice will soon pervade its boundaries and reach south Asia.  

NEWS

Indian Suggestions

( Work by Dina Goldstein)

Sakshi Gallery presents a group show of three artists works, titled, ‘ Indian Suggestions’. The show is a result of the Mumbai art Residency program organized by Arte Laguna Prize to give artists the opportunity to enjoy a creative experience out of the artists studios.

The Mumbai Art Residency began in September 2011 with the collaboration between Arte Laguna Prize and the company Technymon, a part of The Mongodi group. 

The collaboration launched the art residency in India to give an opportunity to the artists of the Arte Laguna Prize to stay in Mumbai for a month in order to carry out a new artistic project inspired by the city and the local culture.

The winning artists are Dina Goldstein and Michael Rotondi for the year 2012 and Carlos Cartama for the year 2013. The show previews on 19th October and is on view till 7th November 2013.

The Japanese wife and other tales

( work by Rini Dhumal)

Art Alive Gallery, New Delhi presents a solo show of exquisite works by eminent artist Rini Dhumal. The show titled, ‘The Japanese Wife and Other Tales’ displays the artist’s recent works in oils on canvas. 

The title borrowed from the book by Kunal Basu, the works have a definitive story line and an intense narrative with vibrant colours and forms supporting the nuances of the story telling. Rendered in the figurative style the works have a mesmerizing quality to them.

The show is on till 25th November 2013.

Shimmering Silhouettes

( Work by Jayant Hubli)

Nivriti - The Art Quarter, Bangalore presents a show titled, 'Shimmering Silhouettes' a solo  by artist, Jayant Hubli. The month long show exhibits a series of charcoal art pieces wherein each work depicts a different emotion of artist, his life’s challenges and influences. 

As son of renowned artist B.K.Hubli, Jayant carries a rich lineage of art. Inspired by the rich natural forms and structures he loves to capture the daily images of life in his art. He is also the winner of many prestigious awards like the Karnataka Lalita Kala Akademi award and the runner-up of Worldwide Windsor Newton Competition in London.

The show is on view till 5th November 2013.

Border Body - Call for Artists

International Art Expo calls for artisst participation for the show, ‘Border Body’ to be held in Spain and Poland. International ArtExpo is selecting all photo works, video/short films, paintings and performing art works to include in the next 2013 exhibitions at the International Art Festival Photography, Video Art, Painting and Performing Art to be held in Almeria (Spain), at MECA Mediterráneo Centro Artístico, during the 14th and 28th of November, 2013 (video screening only), and in Wrocław (Poland) at Gallery MD_S (MD_S – miejsce dla sztuki), from the 10th to the 30th of November 2013.

Border Body is conceived as a diffused and nomadic exhibition in different places of the world. The festival is composed by two sections: “Mixing Cities”, which deals with modern urban changes and their influence on citizens, and “Mixing Identities” focused on the hybridization of social identities in contemporary time. Artworks’ selection is  based on the main concept of fluidity, motion, changing networks and cities transformations. People, backgrounds, societies, progress and all their inputs creates hybrid identities, modifying each other and being mixed in prospect to shape a better world.

The event is open to photography, video art, painting and performing art. Exhibition at MECA (Spain) is open to video art only.

The deadline for applications is October 20th, 2013

To take part in the selection, send your works submissions with a CV/biography, videography and some still images (only for video artists), some samples of works via email to lucacurci@lucacurci.com 

( News reports by Sushma Sabnis)