Friday, September 28, 2012

"The Beauty in the Best Barns . . ." Limited-Edition Letterpress Broadside Now On Sale




LIMITED-EDITION LETTERPRESS BROADSIDE — 

Only 25 numbered copies

Dimensions: 14"w x 26"h



The American artist J. J. Lankes is best known for his woodcut illustrations and bookplates for poet Robert Frost. This limited-edition letterpress broadside celebrates the gift of an original  J. J. Lankes print to the Book Arts Studio special collections. The Pennsylvania barn woodcut is reproduced together with a quotation by the artist: "The beauty in the best barns, usually of stone, may not be obvious to the casual observer. There is no ornamentation that impresses or holds attention. Rather it is the stark simplicity and the satisfying proportions. It is finding beauty in such an unexpected place that makes it all the more startling. . . . The comparison may be amusing to some, but as a work of art the utter simplicity of the barn may be more satisfying than that of an ornate temple."  The text has been handset and cast in the Studio in Bodoni Campanile, Bodoni Black, and Optima types and printed letterpress in two colors by Carl Mario Nudi and Richard Mathews in an edition of 25 numbered copies, only 20 of which are for sale. Proceeds benefit the Book Arts Studio. $50.

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