Access & closure
Subtitle: stories from in and out of an occupied Palestine
By: Toby Millman ; afterword by Anton Shammas
Contributors: Shammas, Anton; Oregon College of Art and Craft
Publisher: [Oregon College of Art & Craft]
Published: 2008
Place of publication: Portland, Or.]
Language: eng
Number of pages: 64
Subjects: Palestinian Arabs; Anecdotes; Social conditions; Description and travel; Artists' books
Other titles: Access and closure; Stories from in and out of an occupied Palestine
Description: "I chose to title the book after the heading on this map as a way to summarize my experience as an American in Palestine. At its most obvious level, this work chronicles the access that I had as a foreign-passport holder traveling throughout the area. I was able to travel fairly easily compared to most Palestinians, and I was able to visit areas that are closed to many of those who call this land their home. But this work is more so about the access that the people I met allowed me into their lives. Without being welcomed into homes and guided throughout the streets, I never would have been able to create this work. On the other hand, I did not have full access to the land or its people. Aside from the Israeli-imposed closures that the map refers to, I was well aware - especially during my longer visit - that I am an outsider and certain aspects of Palestinian society are still closed to me. My book speaks to this closure in some ways. Whether it's in my naivety as I try to retrieve a stolen cell phone or my inability to communicate clearly in Arabic, there were many instances where I wished that I could be a Palestinian, an insider; to fully experience both the beauty and horrors of this place"--Vamp & Tramp website.
Notes: Imprint from colophon.

"Letterpress printed during an artist residency at the Oregon College of Art & Craft in Portland between August and Decdember of 2008. The title, Access & closure, and the cover images have been drawn from maps produced by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs for the occupied Palestinian territories"--Colophon.

" ... leporello bound and letterpress printed from polymer plates set in Gill Sans Light on Stonehenge paper. The cover, title page and colophon, however, were handset using Gill Sans. The cover is Magnani Pescia and Anton Shammas' afterword is laser printed in Adobe Caslon Pro on Neenah Classic Laid. All the images were traced from original photographs or maps and the written vignettes are one hundred percent true (with a few names changed to protect the semi-innocent). Access & Closure was printed in an edition of 50, five of which are unbound and presented in a clamshell box with a hand-cut map of Palestine on the front"--Author's website.

Rare Book copy: No. 36, signed by the artist.