The Creation of Poems²
By Joseph W. Wade, Jr. Artist/Proprietor of JW Art Gallery, Hurley, NM
When I first came to Grant County, I became acquainted with Mrs. Dorothy McCray at her gallery, Atelier 108 in Silver City. Mrs. McCray later encouraged her friend Elvira Godfrey to offer her pen and ink drawings for exhibit at my newly established gallery, the JW Art Gallery in Hurley. Our friendship grew and then I met Elvira’s husband Larry and learned about his passion for the written word and a group of poets and writers, The Thadeus McPhearson Society for the Arts.The idea for a hand-made book combining poetry and art started to form in my mind.So, I asked Larry to inquire as to whether there was any interest within the group and if so, would they submit a selection of poems for that purpose. The enthusiasm for the project became evident with the submission of enough written material to make a book possible.
I started that day with a marathon of energy devoted to the organization of their poetry and art images from the artists in my gallery.
I speculated that my background in picture framing would offer skills and solutions to the craft of making a book. Wrapping and gluing a mat with fabric must be akin to gluing cover boards for a book.
The project started to take shape. Next, the final size of the book was chosen and the kind of paper selected for its pages.
I made a decision to include a method of placing the artwork in the body of the book called “tipping in.” I had seen several art books that included this method. One person in particular that inspired my book was Albert Skira who planned and directed a selection of monographs in his book titled Surrealism – The Taste of Our Time 1962.
Then I began researching bookbinding. I found books on the internet and visited my friend Professor Gloria Maya at WNMU. Her class at the time was exploring bookbinding. Gloria shared her knowledge of books and equipment. Based on my visit with her, I ordered books on Japanese methods of bookbinding.Reading about Japanese methods lead to Coptic stitching for the binding of the book. Coptic binding/sewing comprises methods of bookbinding developed by the Copts, early Christians, and was used from as early as the 2nd century AD to the 11th century. The term is also used to describe modern bindings sewn in that same style. Thanks to a video by Jim Escalante Coptic Bindings on Boards I learned the intricacies of the binding process (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GM4iFrGSzlY&feature=relmfu).
I enjoyed designing the entire book. It became a work of art because it experienced several revisions and changes that exhibited the same emotions of working on a creative two dimensional object like a painting. Generally speaking you would think the making of a book would have a very rigid structure. Final changes at the most crucial moments made the inanimate object seem to take a short breath and sigh.
Poetry² Introduced
The well-attended reception for Poems2 was held on April 15, 2012 at the JW Art Gallery in Hurley. Excerpts of the poetry included in the book were read by the authors with elegant music by Variations of Three, featuring Don McCracken on violin, Gail Rein on viola and Patricia Prewit on piano. The event also featured the first public reading by Bonnie Buckley Maldonado since her installation as Silver City’s Poet Laureate. The gallery displayed all of the images that were included in the book.
Sharon Barr
City of Rocks – 3
Kirk Creek – 4
Folding Sheets – 5
Magnetic Moments – 7
Larry Godfrey
Final Season – 9
This Best, There Is No Better – 11
Hollyhocks and Hints of Other Antiquities – 12-14
Present Poppies Past-Perfect – 15
Fantasia of Winter Sky by Night – 17
Bonnie B. Maldonado
Shadow at Play – 19
Green Hidey-Holes – 21
Solstice Communion – 23
Resilience – 25
Masquerade – 25
Tom McCoy
love beyond star trek – 27
shredded wheat – 29
things shining – 29
forms of war – 31
Sandy McKinney
Pas de Deux – 32
The Mystic – 32
Variations on a Theme by Attar – 33
A Last Farewell to my Grandfather – 35-36
Pasiphae – 36-37
Elise Stuart
This is the way – 39
Pruning – 40
Beyond – 41
Reality – 43
Poems2 Images
Page 1 – Synchronicity by Joseph Wade, Jr. 10.5 x 13.5 Giclée
Page 2 – Landscape by Dorothy McCray 11 x 15 Watercolor
Page 6 – Magic Carpet by Christine Sandifur 12 x 12 Monoprint
Page 8 – Hike by Dorothy McCray 9 x 13 Watercolor
Page 10 – Murano by Rose Patrick Archer 10.5 x 13.5 Giclée
Page 16 – Passage by Joseph Wade, Jr. 18 x 24 Monotype
Page 18 – Rose Figure et 3 by Patrick Archer 10.5 x 13.5 Giclée
Page 22 – Sunflower by Joseph Wade, Jr. 18 x 24 Monotype
Page 24 – Chorus Line by Elvira Godfrey 8 x10 Pen & Ink
Page 26 – Too Many Zeros 4.0 by Christine Sandifur 12 x 12 Monoprint
Page 28 – Flower by Elvira Godfrey 8 x 10 Pen & Ink
Page 30 – Dual Icons by Patrick Archer 10.5 x 13.5 Giclée
Page 34 – Mission by Joseph Wade, Jr. 15 x 15 Monotype
Page 38 – Ch’ien et Fleur by Patrick Archer 10.5 x 13.5 Giclée
Page 42 – Cowboy’s Sweetheart by Ouida Touchón 23 x 29 Woodcut
Poems2 books and images may be purchased at:
JW Art Gallery
99 Cortez Avenue
Hurley, NM 88043
8 3/4 x 9 1/2
52 Pages – $45.00
HC
Limited Edition: 200
For Information call: 575-537-0300
Email: jwkwade at gmail.com or
gallery at jwartgallery.com
