VS4554

This is a blog created and supported by a course taught at Temple University, Tyler School of Art. It focuses on artist books, zines, and DIY publishing. Posts consist of student work completed while in class, student reviews of zines found in the world, and other pertinent bits of information.

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Louise Bourgeois: Eccentric Growth, 1963-67

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Georgia O’Keeffe

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Fiona Duncan https://nylon.com/articles/nylon-natasha-khan-june-july-2016

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Rajni Shah, Lucille Acevedo-Jones and Manuel Vason, “Bride in a parking garage” x Beyoncé, LEMONADE

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Eartha Kitt photographed by Gordon Parks in New York, 1952.

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Zine Review 6 / Title & Author Unknown / Found in Little Berlin

Out of all the zines at Little Berlin, I thought this one really broke boundaries the most. The whole zine was comprised of prints and patterns on a more thin or transparent paper that leaked onto the back page and made more complicated images at some points. I thought it was really admirable and I just wished it had more of the author or title.

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Zine Review 5 / The Arrow Parade by Dreamtigers Press / (c) 2009

This zine really caught my eye at Little Berlin because it was a lot more interactive. Although the illustrations are simple, the pages all fold out and almost can be a sculpture on its own. I wish there was a little more about the purpose and author somewhere in there.

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Zine Review 4 / Garden by Aika Hirano / Commune (press?) / Edition unknown

I found this zine at an opening party at YOWIE for ICA’s holiday pop-up. I really first went for it because of the cover, I was curious it might be poetry or something more traditional / written however it’s a lot of different media all in one. I think it’s really hard to actually pair different art mediums together and I think they did a great job doing so and continued to make each page more interesting because you’re not sure what you’re going to get. I just wish there were more play with overlapping spreads and pushing into the gutter onto another page for some works but I overall really liked it and ended up buying it.

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Alyssa / Zine 4 

For my final zine i collaborated with my housemate, Hannah. We wanted to combine both of our mediums and talk about travel in a more intimate way. I typically paint but we thought that sketches would work better. 

Pictured are a few excerpts and the front and back cover.

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“SCRAP!” by Grace Wilson. 2017.

Materials used: found materials (images, card stock, text), graph paper, linoleum stamp & ink.

SCRAP! is a personal challenge of making do with what you have. Something new can always be made with the utilization of preexisting material, no matter how old. the combination of old and new is evident in this zine. The materials used in SCRAP! range from years old magazine tears I have held on to, to pieces of leftover paper found in the studio the day of it’s construction; my inspiration for this project.

SCRAP! also aims to investigate the relationship between form and texture, through the use of similar shapes, but various textures / mediums. Each composition frames itself with the use of overlapping elements and the incorporation of a directional linoleum stamp. SCRAP! challenges the eye to create reoccurring relationships of color, form, and overall mood through each page.

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Upon Waking Edition of 8 Ink on Paper, twine 6x4” Dana Shafer Upon Waking is a combination fairy tale and self help zine. A girl goes to sleep and wakes not knowing anything about how to live in her world. As she walks through the day she meets different entities from the natural world that give her advice on how to live. This book is small, as it is meant to feel like an object you can take with you if you ever need some wisdom. It was very soothing to make and to think about things I could learn from the world.

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Zine Title: Eagles Can Fly Author: Richard Ho Mediums used: photocopy paper, digital print, pen, block printing ink, origami Book structure used: Japanese stab binding Edition size: 8 Brief description of content: A Doki Doki Literature Club fanzine for Natsuki’s poem, Eagles Can Fly. The format is similar to a simple picture book, but much like Natsuki’s writing style, there are hints of... a complicated situation. All writings and character images taken from the game.

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Zine Title: Smelling Trees Author: Sun Noon Medium: newsprint, digital print Book structure used: signatures stapled together Edition size: Unknown Reviewer: Richard Ho A collection of writings and photos by Sun Moon, along with an excerpt by Teslie Lona. Noon’s writing is thoughtful, concerned with the process of thinking. This work is reflective about existence, not in the grand scale of ultimate purpose, but in the sensory, feelings, daily life, and connection with other lives. The photos are discernibly realistic, but this realism crosses into abstract meaning through composition and the accompanying writings. The newsprint feels aged and soft, fragile even, and these qualities produce nostalgia and familiarity.

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Zine Title: Race Riot project directory Author: Mimi Nguyen Medium: photocopy paper, digital print Book structure used: signatures stapled together Edition size: Unknown Reviewer: Richard Ho This zine provides lists and descriptions of zines and other media made by people of color. This is clearly a work that took a lot of time and research, and it is nicely organized to the extent that one can even classify and organize categories of zines. As a directory, this zine is practical and to the point. The meaningful icons on the corners of the pages are a nice touch, and the commentary provided by Nguyen (about the reasons this work was even made and the recognition of POC in alternative spaces) is powerful and still relevant.

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Zine Title: The Elvis Bible Author: S. Edmonds Medium: digital print, gold ink Book structure used: spiral bound book Edition size: Unknown Reviewer: Richard Ho This is a humorous zine that inserts Elvis Presley into the Bible. Elvis replaces key figures in religious imagery, and lyrics intertwine with Biblical quotes. This is comedy gold. The juxtaposition of the King of Rock, a revered pop culture icon, and the Bible is so surprising and irreverent that this could probably be considered blasphemy. It is a great example of satire, particularly about how people consume religion much like pop culture to such an extent that it all becomes meaninglessly catchy.

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Ker-Bloom! Vol 3 / 2007 / kettle stitch / letter press print / artnoose Reviewed by Mary Watts This is a compilation of letter press printed zines bound together using a kettle stitch. When I first started leafing through it I wasn't opening the signatures and thought it was only the covers. But I soon realized each tiny issue covered a topic completely different from the last and not always serious. It's very impressive that each issue is individually letter press printed. The strange size, bright cover, and easy readability make it a great piece. It's a weirdly sturdy boom with a lot of care put into it. A card explaining the piece said, "What ker-bloom lacks in size it makes up for in passion". The artist explained that due to the complexity of the letter press process each issue only contains 8 small pages of writing.

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Look Book:winter 2018 / Mary Watts/ pamphlet stitch/ 8/8 This fun lil zine displays some full color drawings of funky shoes! I used copic markers to draw the shoes (no pencil!) And scanned them into an indesign document. It took a couple tries to get the printing right and it's still not perfect but I had a lot of fun making this one. I'm very interested in fashion, shoes, and shopping. I'll spend hours in goodwill or value village trying to find the perfect pieces. I would probably only wear a couple of these designs myself, but who knows how the public would react if they were real! #lookbook #zine #fashionista