I Have Always Imagined That Paradise Will Be a Kind of Library
The idea of a library has always been a fabulous one, as libraries are places where stories both factual and imagined come to life, where knowledge is stored, where history is documented, and where creativity is championed. Libraries are also places free of distraction and protected from harm, its easy to imagine them as a kind of paradise. But the idea of a library of art is equally fantastic, as a collection of expressions where color, mark making, and paper collide and where the spirit of the artist can become part of a living catalog. For these reasons we have invited artists involved in various artistic practices to create unique hand drawn and hand painted works on canvas and paper that could be bound or formatted like a book. These books function as experimental extensions of each artists practice. While the works freely borrow from several established visual languages used in book making such as pop up books, illuminated manuscripts, and graphic novels, these forms of book making function as starting points for each artist. These artists books are infused with a conceptual wit, rigor, and humor that makes the show a delight to both see, hold, and unfold in your hands. Blake & Vargas is a Kreuzberg, Berlin based space founded by Artist and Curator Sarah Bernauer & Designer Matthias Last. The Kunstraum hosts residencies and publishes limited editions alongside an exhibition program which includes screenings, performances, talks and readings.
All Photo Credits: Luke Marshall Johnson.
Artists: Aaron Morse, Alex Sewell, Anthony Cudahy, Ben Sanders, Brendan Lynch, Brian Cooper, Daniel Newman, Edgar Bryan, Helen Rebekah Garber, Kady Grant, Kara Joslyn, Kristin Calabrese, Laurie Nye, Manny Prieres, Matthew Craven, Megan Lindeman, Nelly Zagury, Phillip Estlund, Shaun Johnson, Susan Logoreci, Tom Delaney
Cee Cee Berlin · Blake and Vargas
