Loom
By: wood engravings by Richard Wagener ; poem by Alan Loney
Contributors: Loney, Alan, 1940- author; Pascoe, David, 1950- book designer, publisher; Reagh, Patrick, printer; Barrett, Timothy, papermaker; Jensen, Craig (Craig William), 1951- binder; Nawakum Press; Mixolydian Editions; Papierfabrik Zerkall Renker & Söhne; Papeterie St-Armand; BookLab II (Firm)
Publisher: Nawakum Press; Mixolydian Editions
Published: 2014
Place of publication: [Santa Rosa, California]; [Petaluma, California]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 40
ISBN-13: 9780988217928
Subjects: Artists' books; Specimens; Wood-engraving, American; Weaving; Poetry; Australian poetry
Description: Looms provide the blank canvases for weaving stories, a basic structure of utility and grace that connects the threads of our inner world with those of the natural world in countless and ever enduring forms. This project began when the California printmaker and book artist Richard Wagener asked simple question - how many threads does it take to make a weaving? From this journey (undertaken over several months on the surface of endgrain wood blocks, with a wood engraver's burin as walking stick) have come sixteen extraordinary engravings, artwork which evokes the mystery and beauty of connection and disconnection, while honoring the elegant simplicity and frailty of the loom and all it represents. New Zealand-born, Australian-resident poet Alan Loney, long-time weaver of words, was asked to respond to this series of engravings, and produced a poem, asking deep questions of connection and exploring "the thread of life itself."--Adapted from the prospectus.

The bindings and enclosures are by Craig Jensen at BookLab II in San Marcos, Texas. The binding of both the deluxe and slipcased versions is hand sewn on linen tapes and laced into a limp paper case made of Handmade PC4 Blue from Timothy Barrett at the University of Iowa Center for the Book. The endpapers are handmade by La Papeterie Saint-Armand in Montreal.
Notes: Loom was designed and co-published by David Pascoe of Nawakum Press and Richard Wagener of Mixolydian Editions. Richard Wagener printed his wood engravings directly from endgrain maple blocks on his Vandercook proof press. The typeface is Monotype Janson 401, designed after the original by Nicolas Kis in the 1600s. Patrick Reagh typeset and cast the type in Sebastopol, California and printed the text on a 28-inch Heidelberg cylinder press on 170 gsm Zerkall Book mouldmade paper from Germany.--Adapted from the colophon and prospectus.

Published in two states: a deluxe edition of 16 copies, lettered A-P, and a slipcased edition of 30 copies, numbered 1-30. The deluxe version is housed in a Japanese cloth covered four-flap enclosure, secured by rare earth magnets. A paper chemise holds one of the 16 prints from the book (unique to each copy), another print designed for the deluxe edition, and creative process remarks from both the artist and poet. The slipcased version is housed in a two-colour Japanese cloth covered slipcase with a printed label on the spine. Each book is signed by the artist and poet.

Rare Book copy: No. 24 of the slipcased edition.