Printess & the p : with The real princess by Hans Andersen /
"Christine Tacq's latest artist's book Printess & the p is a reimagining of the timeless Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a young woman who proves her nobility to her suitor prince, by detecting a pea through twenty feather mattresses. Only a princess would be so sensitive...
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| Format: | Book |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Thame :
The p's & q's Press,
2014.
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| Edition: | [Special edition]. |
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| Summary: | "Christine Tacq's latest artist's book Printess & the p is a reimagining of the timeless Hans Christian Andersen fairy tale about a young woman who proves her nobility to her suitor prince, by detecting a pea through twenty feather mattresses. Only a princess would be so sensitive to be awakened by a pea. In this version, it is a woman printer, or 'printess', who is the person of discernment. The first thing that is striking about Tacq's latest work is the interspersed monotone plates sit in sharp contrast to the vibrant rich imagery of the colour spreads illustrating the narrative. This contrast is beautifully underpinned by using different paper. The colour reliefs are printed on Zerkall paper, while, intaglio collagraphs are on Fabriano paper. By cleverly changing the medium it reinforces the initial contrast at the physical as well as on a visual level. The theme of contrast extends to the depictions. The seven richly coloured double-page spreads juxtaposed with the far more vulnerable black and white which offers an intimate glimpse into an inner darker world. Some of these prints spill out from the confines of the frame with hard edged intaglio printing as if attempting to burst out from the page and ape the freedom a vibrancy depicted in the colour plates. Tacq's skill as a book artist are illustrated in the way this volume unravels and draws in a complex range of themes and concepts, techniques; - and then presents them in such an appealing way. Her use of Optima for the text balances with the rich relief collagraphs. The images are created using the collagraphy technique in which the plate is constructed of adhered elements and inked with a roller or brush to produce in both relief and intaglio, and an embossed impression can be obtained by printing the plate dry without inking. The way the imagery and the narrative intertwine to create this volume weighted with powerful subtexts which engage with concepts of feminism and identity. In some respects it offers a self-portrait of a printer. "--British Library, English and Drama blog, 15 June 2016. |
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| Item Description: | Imprint from colophon. "The text is set in Optima. Relief collagraphs are on Zerkall, intaglio collagraphs are on Fabriano, and the covers were designed with relief-blocks. All were printed at The p's & q's Press in Thame and bound at The Fine Book Bindery in Finedon in a first edition of 25 copies"--Colophon. Special copies numbered 1-10 are bound in hand-printed silk and each includes a folder with 6 signed prints. The standard edition are bound in hand-printed linen with slipcase, numbered 11-25, and signed by the artist. Purchased for the Al Lowman Printing Arts Collection and Research Archive by The Cushing Library. The Cushing Library/Lowman/Book Design copy is number A/P and is signed by the artist. |
| Physical Description: | 1 volume (unpaged) : illustrations (some color) ; 32 cm + 1 portfolio (6 prints ; some color) |
| Related Items: | The Cushing Library/Lowman/Book Design copy forms part of the Book Design Section of the Al Lowman Printing Arts Collection and Research Archive. |