I found a “call for artists” for Artist’s Books from Bank St Arts in Sheffield, England. What caught my attention about this particular call was in the rules and conditions. It read “We have no desire to engage in discussion about what constitutes an artist’s book beyond clarifying that the prize is not concerned with books about art or artists, but books as art”. Now that one sentence got my imagination going! I awoke the next morning with the book fully formed in my mind.

I have been practicing the technique of “rust dyeing” since my return from studying in Australia in April 2012 where I had been taught the art. I started going through my collection of rust dyed fabrics and chose those that I felt moved me and were unique in their own ways.

The first page was a dramatic rust pattern that I had gotten off of a rusted lattice work piece.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I decided to use some of the cloth that I had been able to copper patina. It is very unreliable process with the copper and sometimes after making  spectacular markings the copper will disappear. I like the mixture of the copper along with the steel rust that appeared to be small orchids growing up the page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I was able to get another rust and copper patina piece, this one with more steel rust and less distinctive copper markings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I had allowed steel grape leaves that had been left over from another project to rust and used them as markings on this page.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Making the rust art is so exciting because you wrap up the metals in the fabric and each time you open them you have something new and unexpected. Having a welding shop in the Pacific N/W, I always have plenty of rusted metal to choose from!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The cloth will accept more rust in some areas and none in others. With each piece I chose I wanted there to be variety in the rust applications. Because of the amount of rust on each page it caused each and every page to not only look different, but to feel different.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This page had accepted the rust in such a unique pattern that it appeared to have a fold in it and it was only after you touched what looked like a fold in the cloth did you realize that it was completely smooth.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For my final page I chose a piece that appeared to have a hand print. This one waving good bye.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I bound the edges in leather and fabric that had come from Australia, perfectly framing each page as an individual piece of art on it’s own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I found and prepared a thick piece of leather to use as the spine in the binding of the book.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The front and back covers were stainless steel that had patterns ground into them in my welding shop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I titled the piece “A New Metal Age” with the dedication

“To the people of the UK, our heritage, I salute you.

To Sheffield, the home of stainless steel, I dedicate this book to you”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

For the catalog of Sheffield International Artist’s Book Prize I wrote,

“A New Metal Age”

The metal ages brought a time of discovery and change. As we stand on the shoulders of the women and men who came before us, we are making new discoveries and changes. I married the old rusted metals and the shiny new stainless to represent both “Metal Ages”