tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-84096111504763289602024-03-12T19:29:55.354-07:00Book Aesthete: ContemporaryA study of contemporary fine press, illustrated editions and artists' editions (plus the occasional graphic novel); as well as the artists and professionals that create them.RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.comBlogger17125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-5008132818855704452012-08-05T12:02:00.001-07:002012-08-05T12:02:52.023-07:00William Hope Hodgson: Master of the Weird Tale
I first discovered the work of William Hope Hodgson through my good friend and connoisseur of Weird Fiction, ontheborderland. I started with The House on the Borderland, and it was a very quick addiction - didn't take me long to read through everything our library had. Which wasn't much, sadly, but I've been able to find books elsewhere. And believe me he is a Master - I have RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-51820763731199503612012-03-25T19:13:00.002-07:002012-03-25T19:13:20.385-07:00There can never be too many...There can never be too many fine book publishers, in my opinion. I have learned today of a new fine press that has recently launched:
which will be specializing in "morbid and fantastical works". They will soon be releasing their first publication, Shadow Plays by Reggie Oliver, in a limited run of 250 sewn hardbound copies.
Reggie Oliver is a contenporary stage actor, RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-71575484183399242192011-12-10T10:36:00.001-08:002011-12-10T11:01:57.882-08:00Again with the Macabre
Grimscribe
by Thomas Ligotti
Dust jacket by Aeron Alfrey.
Limited: (sold out)
Trade: (sold out)
ISBN: 978-1-59606-409-6
Hello friends! My apologies for my long hiatus. My day job has been overwhelming stressful and it's sapped all of my energy. I do still manage to keep up the original Book Aesthete, since it takes quite a bit less effort and focus than this one.
So RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-53234576649185927162011-10-09T13:00:00.000-07:002011-10-09T13:01:02.268-07:00"Poetry of Sappho" with prints by Julie MehretuAccording to Arion Press, November 2011 will see the publication of "Poetry of Sappho" with prints by Julie Mehretu. No images are yet available on their site, but given what I've seen of her work on the 'net, this is bound to be a unique combination of poetry and art.
Mehretu, Untitled etching, 2009
"An Ethiopian-American painter known for her densely-layered abstract
images, [Julie RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-41093864841380515242011-09-11T09:29:00.000-07:002011-09-11T12:08:44.087-07:00C.C. Askew of Sekretcity InternationalC.C. Askew first came to my attention as the illustrator of the be-monocled portrait of Mikhail Bulgakov in "The Master in Cafe Morphine: An Homage". While poking around on the internet today I discovered his blog and this lovely cover artwork for J.M. Coetzee's "Waiting for the Barbarians":
And another book cover, this for the Ukrainian poetess Iryna Shuvalova:
Askew has RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-36636095555948140952011-09-06T12:12:00.000-07:002011-09-06T12:12:57.480-07:00Not too early for the Halloween Season, is it?Earthling Publications is a fine press publisher specializing in "exceptional horror, dark fantasy and suspense". Naturally this piqued my interest as it's my favorite literary genre, so I dove in to see what was what. One of the first books I came across was China Mieville's first novel, King Rat, pictured below: illustrated by Richard Kirk, bound in bonded leather, slipcased, and RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-68645100574949391982011-09-05T12:52:00.000-07:002011-09-05T13:17:43.718-07:00Lavish Bookbinding by Monique Lallier
While browsing my usual online book haunts, I came across this 1931 Metropolitan Museum publication that had been re-bound "in full black morocco with tan morocco onlays on front and rear cut in the silhouette of a city skyline" by one Monique Lallier. I hadn't come across her work yet so I thought I'd better do a little further investigation.
Metropolitan Museum
I was thrilled to RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-31394691579614167252011-08-27T15:35:00.000-07:002011-09-11T09:27:07.784-07:00The Master in Cafe Morphine: An Homage to Mikhail BulgakovFinally! At long last! My one luxury purchase of the year has finally arrived:
The Master in Cafe Morphine: An Homage to Mikhail Bulgakov
This limited edition was published in June of this year by Ex Occidente Press, out of Bucharest. I am the proud owner of copy #37 of 100.
The Master in Café Morphine: A Homage to Mikhail Bulgakov is an over-sized sewn hardcover book RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-53659540619680383292011-08-14T09:13:00.000-07:002011-08-14T09:54:58.928-07:00Punch & Judy: Modern Interpretations part 2Always on the look-out for Punch & Judy references, I happened to stumble across this interesting work from Circle Press:
"The Left-Handed Punch". Artwork by Ronald King, in collaboration with poet Roy Fisher. Guildford, 1986 (out of print). A somewhat more abstract take on the tradition.
Image from The Left-Handed Punch
From the website: "The fifth collaboration ofRobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-51303560577649833102011-08-10T14:26:00.000-07:002011-08-10T14:38:23.857-07:00'Heart of Darkness' - Deep Wood PressTake a look at this beautiful edition of Joseph Conrad's 'Heart of Darkness', illustrated by Marc Castelli:
Published by Deep Wood Press, this book won the University of Texas's Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design, 2010, and it's easy to see why. The binding is richly textured and beautifully detailed:
"Full goatskin binding with calf onlays in debossed panels depicting RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-1597517586297318272011-08-09T10:14:00.000-07:002011-08-09T11:43:47.428-07:00A Graphic InterludeThanks to Mad Hatter for the heads-up on this one: Mike Mignola's very impressive cover art for the upcoming graphic novel 'Joe Golem and the Drowning City': (You can pop over to their post for a larger / more detailed look)
Mignola is one of my long-time favorite illustrators. I have his 2008 HPLovecraft Film Festival poster framed and hung prominently in my house:
Hm, yes, ok, a RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-56279862608753057872011-08-08T10:24:00.000-07:002011-08-09T12:16:50.844-07:00Interpretive Book Bindings: Mia LeijonstedtFinnish-born Mia Leijonstedt is an award-winning book artist currently residing in the United Kingdorm. From her Artist's Statement: "The book as an object is symbolically a very rich and independent format. Its history and cultural significance provide endless scope for artistic discoveries and interpretation, not only being a container for stories but being a story in itself, itsRobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-79294966358430187102011-08-05T17:05:00.000-07:002011-08-09T11:44:16.992-07:00EPIDERMIS: The Poetry of SkinThis interesting crossover of publishing, art and biology was recently brought to my attention:
EPIDERMIS: The Poetry of Skin is a collaborative effort from photographer Doug Prince and poet Scott A. Gallaway, and includes an interpretive essay by Andrew E. Hershberger. I found the images to be beautiful, and the sample pages available for viewing here are quite compelling.
Artist's RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-71895631289462237792011-08-02T13:34:00.000-07:002011-08-09T11:44:36.131-07:00New from Arion Press: The Sundial by Shirley JacksonAs a diehard Shirley Jackson fan, I am very excited about this. Recently released by Arion Press: The Sundial by Shirley Jackson, with an introduction by Diane Johnson, and with illustrations by Miles Hyman.
Miles Hyman, The Sundial, 2011
Publication details: "The Arion Press edition format is large octavo, 10-1/4 by 6-1/2 inches, 226 pages plus 56 unnumbered pages for the RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-77224231221685970802011-07-31T11:41:00.000-07:002011-08-14T09:54:58.929-07:00Punch & Judy: Modern Interpretations part 1
Punch and Judy by Carlo Giordano
I've long been enchanted by puppetry, and have a particular fondness for the classical Punch & Judy and their associates. The history of Punch & Judy dates back to the 17th century, although the characters have roots in the Italian Commedia dell'Arte tradition which began as far back as the 16th century.
Unlike most modern children's entertainmentRobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-62178352968010660292011-07-26T13:56:00.000-07:002011-08-09T11:42:40.017-07:00Tenebrous: An Interview with Santiago Caruso
I first discovered Santiago Caruso's artwork while browsing the web for images associated with the writings of H.P. Lovecraft. I found a gorgeous illustration of The Dunwich Horror, and immediately followed the link to discover its creator.
Santiago Caruso, El Horror de Dunwich, 2008
Santiago Caruso is a 29-year old artist in Buenos Aires, Argentina. My first impressions from RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8409611150476328960.post-13188333292285359382011-07-08T12:21:00.001-07:002011-07-08T12:46:51.646-07:00THIS SITE IS UNDER CONSTRUCTIONHello all!
Welcome to the latest incarnation of Book Aesthete. The idea for this blog was born in my virtual library on Tumblr, Book-Aesthete. For a couple of years I have had a hobby of searching rare book rooms, book auctions, online libraries and other sources for books to collect. I look for anything that is odd, rare, unusual, or in some way catches my attention; and save RobyneBRhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14368123640740610765noreply@blogger.com0