SoB BOOKBINDING COMPETITION: 2001
Fine Binding Complete Book Cased Binding
Restored/Conserved Binding
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1st PRIZE, COMPLETE BOOK
LIFE IN A BOX - an Artist's Book in a limited edition.
Bound by ERI FUNAZAKI
This Artist's book limited edition of five copies was jointly printed by Eri Funazaki and Danny Flynn. The initial idea for the book was about things happening in a box. Things being small enough to fit into a box (eg. safety pins, paper clips, pegs etc). Life in a box being harder than you expect, but you also find sweetness in this life.
The design for the binding reflects the concept. It is designed to feel more or less like a box. The intention being to bring together humour and seriousness, in a whole book production, while trying to make people laugh.
The binding is in ochre coloured Morocco leather with sides in a printed wooden pattern, taken from a zinc plate etching. Small 'doors' in the upper and lower boards, which may be opened, provide a peep at 'life in a box'. The leaves were printed by the artist and were cut by hand, to leave uneven edges and there are single colour hand sewn headbands. All the illustrations were printed from zinc plates and the text printed Letterpress on an Adana press. The book title is blind tooled on the ‘doors’ in the boards.
2nd PRIZE, COMPLETE BOOK
1960 JOURNAL - bound by ALISON TITCHEN.
The notebook–style binding was designed and produced to convey the personal memories of a journey from England (the Oak leaf), to Australia (the Eucalyptus leaf). The design on the front board symbolizes this journey.
The text was compiled and printed on computer, together with the binders own drawings. The paper, chosen to give an aged appearance, is 110g/m2, made up into sections and sewn on three linen tapes. The headbands are leather over cord. The spine is based on the clamp–like effect in the K118 style of construction, pasted-up with Jaconet between the tapes to provide hinged flaps which are fixed to either side of the boards, making a flexible and strong joint. The spine covering is of Kangaroo leather. The edges are speckled with coloured inks. The boards are 4mm solid leather, burnished, acrylic painted with lettering in gold foil and tooled with a hot stylus in blind lettering.
The binding is housed in a strong leather case of hand sewn solid leather over pasteboard. It is lined with crumpled green pigskin to cushion the binding and is complete with identity tag to, again, emphasize the theme of travel.
HIGHLY COMMENDED, COMPLETE BOOK
JAPANESE BINDING - bound by MIDORI KUNIKATA-COCKRAM.
A display binding showing a collection of miniature Japanese bindings with facing descriptions, written by the binder, assisted in the translation into English by her husband, Mark Cockram.
All materials, adhesives and techniques used are Japanese.
HIGHLY COMMENDED, COMPLETE BOOK
A MODERN ALPHABET FOR UNICORNS - bound by MARY BARTLETT.
The concept for this binding was to make a beautiful book paying homage to Books of Hours and to look at issues in our present world, in a visual form.
The difficulty faced was the thickness of the cover boards, in relationship to the text block, necessitated by the need to accommodate the enamel panel on the front board. The panel is also very fragile and domed in shape, hence the Moonstone on the silver frame to protect the enamel face.
The binding is in full alum tawed leather. Whilst the design, typesetting, printing and binding were conceived and carried out by Mary Bartlett, she employed and acknowledges the specialist skills of others, who assisted with specific aspects of the project: Papermaking, Enamelling, Illustration & Silver work.
A full explanation of the binding is provided in the accompanying volume. The binding is enclosed in a drop–back box covered in blue cloth.
