Morning
By: Monica Oppen
Contributors: Ant Press; Plum Letterpress; Al-Mutanabbi Street Starts Here Artists' Books Collection (Columbia University. Rare Book and Manuscript Library); Al-Mutanabbi Street Coalition
Publisher: Ant Press
Published: 2012
Place of publication: [Stanmore, New South Wales]
Language: eng
Subjects: Death; Psychological aspects; Artists' books; Specimens; History; Violence; Pictorial works; Bombings; Iraq War, 2003-2011; Social conditions; In art; War and civilization; Vehicle bombs; Visual literature
Description: An artist's book that explores the recent history of Iraq through a modern first person text about a woman going about her daily life (visiting the market, preparing her evening meal), which also hints at the loss of her husband and sons. Vertical foldouts reveal another ancient text (an extract from the Epic of Gilgamesh, in which Gilgamesh mourns the death of his friend Enkidu), printed in a different colour ink with a light background image. The main illustrations, on semi-transparent vellum paper, are photos of men's clothing, suggesting the woman's sons' clothes ready for their return or perhaps Enkidu's clothes, folded and ready to be buried with his body. The cover depicts a Sumerian clay tablet, with the Akkadian letters for part of the Gilgemesh text deeply embossed into the heavy cover stock. (Partly adapted from text prepared by the artist for the Book Arts website at the Centre for Fine Print Research, UK).
Notes: "This book, Morning, was made for the project An Inventory of Al-Mutanabbi Street. The project was organized by Beau Beausoleil in the aftermath of the bombing of Al-Mutanabbi Street in Baghdad on 5 March 2007 as a stance against violence for the power of the book and written word to celebrate the connection between people."--Colophon.

Text printed by Plum Letterpress, Sydney. Images printed by photocopy.

Limited edition of 15 copies. Signed by the artist.

Gift; Beau Beausoleil; 2019-2020.