Vie-za-vie

n.p.: Condorpers [Peter Hendriks (Typography and Printing); WIlma van Ipenburg (Binder)], 2007. Limited Edition. Hardcover. Fine. Anke Ligteringen. No. IX (total edition not stated), square quarto size, [48] pp., note that text is in Dutch with English translation. A fascinating artist book which is a perfect marriage of custom binding, photography, poetry, and calligraphy. Text is letterpress printed, in Dutch, with corresponding English calligraphically lettered.

The work is a collaborative effort by Inez Meter (author), Anke Ligteringen (photography), Peter Hendriks (typographer/printer), and Wilma van Ipenburg (binding). Of each we could find little information online except for Anke Ligteringen, a Gouda artist, who passed away in 2013.

The book was "[p]rinted on the occasion of Kunstmoment in Gouda and the exhibition of Fishing and Nets in Vlaardingen". In Gouda a cultural exhibit, an "Art Moment", is held regularly, with artists and galleries throughout the city exhibiting their art; this book was clearly made for exhibit at the 2007 festival.

The entire work is an homage to the sea and fishing; from the binding, to the photographs of fishing nets and sealife, to the poetry. The poems are short, haiku-like stanzas: "a buffer / alongside the boat / the brush of a painter / a buffer / between ship and quay". Stated to be "copy IX" (total edition not stated), however, we see no other copies available.

___DESCRIPTION: Bound in half taupe skin (snake?), the front fore-edge of black leather with the title blind-debossed and the board itself covered with a glazed cloth with a photographic image, the back board entirely of black leather, black endpapers, all pages of heavy black paper, the title page, titles of the poems, and limitations pages with silver lettering, organized with the title of the photograph in silver on the verso (left) and the photograph itself mounted onto the facing page (recto) upon a background of silver mottling - following this, on the recto of the next leaf, the black paper on the right-hand side has been imprinted with silver mottling surrounding the letterpress printing of the poem in Dutch with, on the left-hand side, is tipped-in a half-sheet of white translucent paper upon which the English translation has been calligraphically lettered in black; the book contains a total of eleven pairs of the photography and poems, titled "netwerk" (network), "koraal" (coral), "gereedschap" (tools/buffer), "protest" (protest), "diepblauw" (deep blue), "blind" (blind), "heimwee" (nostalgia), "maaltijd" (meal), "gom gom" (gum gum), "doolhof" (labyrinth) and "elastiscsh" (springy); square quarto size (10 3/8" by 10 1/4"), with twenty-four leaves of black paper and eleven tipped-in half-sheets.

___CONDITION: Fine, the skin and leather binding smooth and supple, the binding clean, straight corners without rubbing, a strong, square text block with solid hinges, the interior is clean and bright, and entirely free of prior owner markings; other than a very light stray mark or two on the back board, absolutely as new, clean and fresh.

___POSTAGE: International customers, please note that additional postage may apply as the standard does not always cover costs; please inquire for details.

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