The MAGICIAN Enigmatic Limited Edition Artist's Book/Object

Earlier this month at Comic Arts Brooklyn, a one day event in Williamsburg, I spent some time with Chris Byrne the creator of The Magician. A self described "...epic graphic novel, a bookmaking tour de force, (and) mesmerizing art object..." this most intriguing, beautifully constructed facsimile of a magician's box was years in the making. 

This black box with a large white "M" on the side is indeed a magic box, where all twelve elements have been fitted together, each easily removable. The limited edition box also includes a "soundtrack", an illuminated lens to view "specimen slides" as well as a screen on the front projecting an animated figure. The elements of the piece are all impeccably designed and produced and remain enigmatic even after viewing all the parts. 

 So what is it? Byrne’s succinct description of The Magician:  "It’s set in a public bathroom. The Magician is this character that goes through and reconciles opposites. Every misunderstanding I have about the universe is documented in these objects. And creation myths, too. But it’s all tongue-in-cheek. The Magician takes different forms. He is a sleeping figure. He is a hand. He is sperm. He is a cape".

Quoting from Dan Nadal's piece in The Comics Journal (March,2013) 

which in turn quoted Chris Byrne.

Read the article here.

The Magician is a box of wonders housing a dozen separate publications, printed and hand bound using a variety of techniques. The books include Theogony, Handmade, Down the Head, Mountain Man/She-Wolf, Letterpress Flipbook, 4-Ply Toilet Paper, Moleskine, BM Case, M-Phase, Unfinished Versions, Colophon, and Curtains. Designed by Chris Byrne and Scott Newton. Published by Marquand Books in an edition of 20 copies plus five artist's proofs. 

For additional information contact Ed Marquand, edm@marquand.com.

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PARIS: October 2013 Books + Graphic Design Shop

Very pleased to make a visit to the recently renovated and repurposed bookshop of Michael Seksik in the fifth arrondissement near rue Monge. Along with his partner Stephane Schouflikir he has transformed the shop from a traditional "general bookstore" to a modern shop filled primarily with books and graphic arts from the 1960s to today. Details are here.  

Gone are the leather bound volumes which once lined the shelves, now replaced with books devoted to the visual arts, curiosities of the late 20th century as well as walls lined with vivid colors, bold graphics and posters. You will be surprised to see tucked away on this quiet Paris street a variety of American counter-culture material, including an excellent selection of rock posters created for Bill Graham's, Fillmore auditorium in San Francisco. 

 

vasta@earthlink.net

PARIS: October 2013 The Male Nude Masculin x 2

Certainly one of the main attractions this season in Paris is the Masculin exhibition at the Musee d'Orsay. An extensive view of the male figure as seen in paintings, sculpture and photographs from antiquity to today. The art is overwhelming, the installation less so. It is necessary viewing and runs until January.

On the other hand, and just a few metro stops way, is a second exhibition devoted to the male figure: Nus Masculins. It is an eclectic collection of paintings, drawings and objects exploring the male figure from the sacred to the profane, presented by Nicole Canet at her galerie, Au Bonheur du Jour. In certain ways the high-art/low-art aspects of this exhibition, and the imitate gallery space, leave a longer lasting impression. See the exhibition at this wonderful gallery until the end of January.

vasta@earthlink.net