The Elastic Membrane by Kidner, Michael - 1979

Guilford, Surrey: Circle Press, 1979. First Edition. Perspex and Plywood. Very Near Fine/Very Near Fine. 2 v., [6] loose plates, 1 board : ill. facsimiles. ; 45 x 35 cm.. Consists of: 1. Continuity Book 2. Notebook (facsimile), 3. Loose title-page. 4. Six large photo-offset plates (in folders). and 5. The practical homemade computer (powered by the elastic membrane of the title). When packed repacked correctly (an impressive exercise in it's own right) these elements fit together snugly in a large compartmented rectangular plywood and perspex container, a container way too elegant to be referred to as just a box. Edition is limited to 300 copies, each signed by the artist. Designed by the artist in collaboration with Jack Shirreff, the master craftsman of 107 Workshop where the work was produced. Condition of all elements: Very near fine. A mind boggling artist's book bristling with energy, pushing at the boundaries of the book arts genre. "When stretched, elasticized cloth contains energy. Only the warp is elastic, but - with an image drawn on it and stretched between two batons - distortions due to that energy are revealed. In this case, because I myself had imparted the energy, it was a matter of taste. To eliminate this limitation, I used fiberglass rods to provide the tension needed for stretching the elastic. I couldn't have imagined the forms that would result.".