The Center for Book Arts, NYC

We don't often think of fine art as being anything more (or less) than the painting on our walls or the sculpture on our table. The Center for Books Arts in Manhattan has been trying to change our perception of art by looking at the way the bound book (and sometimes unbound book) can be a form of expression that unites many artistic disciplines, including prose, poetry, sculpture, painting, papermaking, and bookbinding.

As you can see from the samples above of creations made with the Book-in-a-Box Kit (a 2009 award-winning toy), bookmaking is an art form for all ages.

Here's a look at what's happening in March at the The Center. What's more, they encourage everyone to express themselves artistically within the stylistic media of bookmaking. Be sure to look into their entire range of exhibits, special lectures, and workshops.

History of Art Series: The Book in Time A series of public discussions with artists, writers, and scholars. Wednesday, March 3rd, 6:30PM Co-sponsored by the American Printing History Association, New York Chapter A Force Beyond Function: The Conversation, Technology, and Significance of the Codex. Join us for a panel discussion centered on the form of the book as an expression of technology. With Jeff Peachy, Book Conservator; Sarah Lowengard, Historian of Technology and Science, The Cooper Union; Marie Fredricks, Drue Heinz Book Conservator, The Morgan Library and Museum; and John Townsend, Independent Bookbinder and Conservator When: Wednesday, March 3rd, 6:30 PM How Much: $10/$5 members of the Center & APHA (suggested) Where: The Center for Book Arts, 28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor   The Exploding Step! Friday, March 12th, 6:00-9:00pm March arrives like a lion as artist Laura Bellmont reveals one of the most explosive mechanisms of pop-up. She will induct loungers into the secrets of the exploding step, an excellent vehicle for illustrated artwork, text, or collage with some really exciting motion. Attendees will leave with a great jumping off point for exploring more pop-up fun in the future. When: Friday, March 12th 6:00-9:00pm How Much: $10/$5 members (suggested) Where: The Center for Book Arts, 28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor

Narrative Sequences Organized by Maddy Rosenberg, independent curator The exhibition Narrative Sequences will focus on work that creates a sequence of images that leads from one to another as a literal or an implied narration unfolds. By this narrowing down to a single aspect of an artist's book, Rosenberg is able to broaden the varieties of how artists explore telling a story, through form and content. For each of these artists in these works, a narrative emerges through the relationship of the previous to the following. They explore various commentaries on societies through who we are as a whole or as individuals, through personal experience or as participants in a broader culture, in an explicit way or a more abstract dance of natural forms. Participating artists include, Christoff Baron, Zane Berzina, Chris Bierl, Jay Bolotin, Sang-ah Choi, Beatrice Coron, Bill Creston, Kahn/Selesnick, Ben Katchor, Rachel Lumsden, Rafael Mundi, Heidi Neilson, Julia Schmid, Karina Skvirsky, Simona Soare. A comprehensive catalogue will accompany the exhibition. Exhibition organizer Maddy Rosenberg is an artist and independent curator. She recently opened Central Booking, a two gallery space in DUMBO, Brooklyn, focusing on artist's books and prints and their integration into the larger art world. On View January 21 through April 3, 2010 Where: The Center for Book Arts 28 West 27th Street, 3rd Floor Gallery Hours: M-F 10am-6pm, Sat. 10am-4pm Admission: Free Public Programs Artist Talk: Wednesday, March 17th, 6:30 pm ALSO ON VIEW: Featured Artist Project Leah Oates: Transitory Space In this exhibition, Oates will show newer work from the "Transitory Space" series along with framed digital prints of book spreads. One of the books from this series is created from images shot in Finland and Newfoundland. Her past books have been created from a feminist perspective, while more recently she has explored ideas about public and private space, but intrinsic in all of her books is an acute sensibility for their visual appearance. She states, "Many of my books deal with an inner awareness of the world either as a woman or as an individual experiencing time, memory and space through poetic and fluid perspective." Organized by Alexander Campos, Executive Director On view January 21 through April 3, 2010 Featured Artist Project Star Black: The Collaged Accordion Star Black is a poet and photographer who has created a series of large-scale accordion books that merge found texts, found photographs and ephemera (maps, hand-written letters, ledgers, etc.) to create surreal imagery. The exhibition is accompanied by individual collages and her own writings. Black says, "In many ways my collages are similar to poems but translated from visuals, taking symbols, textures and "found" words from else where and composing them within a page." Organized by Alexander Campos, Executive Director On view January 21 through April 3, 2010

Mental Block #1

It's not every day when you find a work of fine art that would function in most interior designs schemes, but we found this 1964 painted wood sculpture Mental Block #1 and think it will be one of those goes-anywhere pieces. With the addition of a simple glass top, it’s the perfect side table.

The work is by Edward Movitz, an under- the-radar modern artist, an abstract expressionist whose background includes Tufts, Harvard, and Massachusetts College of Art. He has actively exhibited between 1959 - 1992 in multiple North eastern galleries and institutions.

Mental Block #1 is for sale from Bond & Bowery art dealer Francis Frost Fine Art of Newport, RI.

Made of painted wood, the sculpture has multiplies of small cubes with varying angles joined together in an early prototype of a Rubik’s Cube. It's signed in ink by the artist on the base.

We think this piece is versatile and can go almost anywhere. Turn it into a smart, conversational drinks table. Put this sculpture on a console table or floor. It's 16 x 15 inches and can be used in many settings. It would be a great addition to any modernist collection.