Dave Wood ~ Australia

Poetry with calligraphy bookworks
Miniature books by Dave Wood

Nature
By Dave Wood
text excerpts from Henry David Thoreau, Walt Whitman, Langston Hughes, Alfred Billings Street
Pomona, Australia: D. J. Harwood & Associates, 2012. One-of-a-Kind.

4 x 4 x .5"; 12 leaves. Four free end leaves of gray paper. Titles in gilt. Pages of recycled drum skins. Exposed sewn binding in blue threads. Leather onlays over boards. Calligraphy and illustration by Dave Wood. Binding by Fred Pohlmann of Brisbane.

Dave Wood: "I designed this book using recycled drum skins which I obtained from a friend. It was a challenge to find a way to use this interesting material and when I discovered its translucence, the idea came to me to design various shaped pages, featuring the delicacy of the images as well as the subtle colours in the letterforms which were written and painted in gouache. I was delighted with the 'show through' effect of each page which gave the book an interesting 'feel', reminiscent of one of the qualities of vellum.

“Each page was cut into a double heart shape to suggest the importance of humanity's love of nature for survival on this planet. The messages/quotes selected for this book are by various well known American authors and writers who, as observers, are expressing the vital link of nature with mankind.

"The motif of the various crane illustrations, which I have chosen, symbolise the delicacy and yet strength of living creatures in harsh environments and their ability to enjoy their surroundings and live successfully. My choice of the one theme throughout this book was to ensure a continuity to the chosen texts.

"I designed the colours and design of the binding and the bookbinder created the covers, using strip and leather onlays, with lead sandwiched between the archival boards and exposed sewing creating an interesting texture. Due to the springiness of the drum material, the book is strong enough to be self supporting for display which is an added feature.

"Due to the exposed binding, the translucence of the back of each page when bound gives the book an additional subtle dimension.

Let the rain
kiss you. Let the
Rain beat upon
your head with silver
liquid drops..
Let the rain sing
you a lullaby
Langston Hughes

$2,500

Excerpts from Chief Seattle's Peace Treaty Statement
By Dave Wood
Pomoma, Australia: D.J. Harwood and Assoc Press, 1990.
Edition of 200.

6 x 2"; 38 unnumbered pages. Concertina style book. Printed on archival 195 gsm rag paper with archival pigment inks. Pages creased and folded by hand. Artwork hand finished with gold foil and schlag. Bound in Australian wood with 4.5" wide paper band closure.

This is the editioned work of the original one-of-a-kind of the same title.

In 1854 the "Great White Chief" in Washington made an offer for a large area of Indianland and promised a reservation for the Indian People. Chief Seattle (1786 - 1866) counseled for peace. This bookwork contains excerpts from Seattle's speech regarding the treaty that would have the Indian lands controlled by the government.

Prospectus: "This is a wonderful sampler of Dave Wood's unique style and versatility of lettering and was one of three handmade books he completed in 1990 to gain his Fellowship to the Society of Scribes & Illuminators in London."

One thing we know
which white man
may one day discover

Our
God
is the
Same
God

$350

Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam
By translation by Edward Fitzgerald
design, calligraphy, and illustration by Dave Wood
Pomoma, Australia: D. J. Harwood & Associates, 2011. Edition of 20.

6 x 8.375 x 1"; 84 pages. Calligraphy on Moab museum quality coated rag paper. Giclée printing with archival pigment inks. Bound in dark blue leather with gilt embossed titles and illustration. Slipcased.

Edward Fitzgerald's 1859 translation of a selection of poems attributed to Persian poet Omar Khayyám (1048-1131) has provided writers and artists with quotations and inspiration since it first appeared. Rex Stout, Eugene O'Neill, Agatha Christie, Jorge Luis Borges, Woody Guthrie, the Grateful Dead, and a host of others owe debts to the allusive quatrains.

Master Calligrapher Dave Wood adds this homage to the list.

Dave Wood Art Gallery: "During the 16th century, a theme of arrow-like designs was placed around the beautiful carpet pages of many Persian manuscripts. Dave has chosen to use this graphic as part of a continuing theme on almost every page to suggest the link between the East and West – the Persian manuscripts and this 21st-century interpretation…

"The original of this limited edition was written on very fine vellum (calf skin) with Japanese Sumi ink, illustrated in gouache and traditionally gilded in 23ct gold, using gesso and gum ammoniac. ...

"The limited edition is printed on archival paper with pigment inks and is handbound in leather with a gold blocked title and image on the cover."

Dave Wood: "Over four decades as a professional Calligraphic Artist, I have created a vast number of original works of art on vellum, using the myriad of quotations from Omar Khayyam’s book. …For many years, it has been an ambition of mine to create a beautiful, unique original rendition of the Rubáiyát of Omar Khayyam, using my vision and passion for this amazing timeless piece of literature. I chose to use the first version of Edward Fitzgerald’s translation for this project."
$1,250

Ghazals
Persian Love Lyrics
Translation by Mrs. George Baskerville
Design, calligraphy, and illustration by Dave Wood
Pomona, Australia: D J Harwood & Associates, 2010. Edition of 50.

13.5 x 9.125 x 1"; 26 pages. Concertina format. Printed on Moab Entrada bright paper. Giclée printing with archival pigment inks. Bound paper over boards with giclée illustrations. Full length band slipcase of lightweight purple cardstock paper.

Dave Wood: "This Collection of Persian Love Lyrics were shown to me by a calligraphy student in New Zealand over 30 years ago. I immediately resonated to this beautiful translation and have consequently created many works of art on vellum using these poems.

"The book evolved as I researched Arabic calligraphy as a basis for some of my designs and I juxtaposed the fine writing with a hint of bold Arabic mark-making so each page became a work of art in its own right.

"I specifically designed the book in this large concertina format so it can be displayed on a book stand, so each double spread can be viewed and enjoyed simultaneously. Hopefully each page turning is a new and stunning visual feast for your senses. I have bound each book individually with some hand finishing in both gold and silver foils, to give specific pages a rich illumination where I feel it is appropriate to the verse.

"SPRING – my interpretation of each page followed the stanzas of uncertainly and doubt of one's observations of one's life experiences. The choices of colour and decoration relate to the each message expressed.

"MY FLIGHT – some folk have related these words to their own specific passion - music, travel, art or whatever it may be which I have endeavored to convey through the subtlety of the colours I chose and the informal style of lettering, incorporating Arabic influenced wings.

"TWILIGHT – the first verse is decorated with a classical form of floral leaf design in rich colours moving onto the second verse where the motif has been interpreted making a different pattern from the original leaf design, suggesting a sense of the mixed emotions of longing.

"REQUEST – if you look carefully you will see in the large graphics, the word 'love' appearing very subtlety. The colours were chosen to convey a sense of optimism and anticipation.

"MOUNTAIN STREAM – the waters of the stream are dancing down the page, complementing the words of joy and fulfillment in the experience of love.

"MY SOUL'S DELIGHT – I chose the minaret motif overlaid in varying colours and decorated shapes to suggest the dreamlike pleasure of a loving relationship.

"MY SONG – the graphic marks express the words "I made a little song" so with closer examination, one can enjoy the challenge of finding this message in conjunction with this sad poem. The strong colours were also used to convey this sense of unfulfillment.

"SWEET TORMENT – the ongoing saga of one's search for love is depicted by the continuous thought patterns across the two pages, using muted colours to suggest a sense of the tormented soul.

"DESPAIR – how can I express this? My feeling of despair has been interpreted in the large highly decorated letters using the spiral of life,
smaller in some areas and larger in others, suggesting the ebb and flow of one's emotional response to love.

"I have hand bound each edition of this concertina book using the highly decorated cover page of a minaret to express my interpretation of Persian art.

"I hope this book brings you as much delight and pleasure as I experienced creating these pages of these traditional and insightful messages which continue to be written or spoken by poets to this day."
$1,250

The Man from Snowy River
By A.B. (Banjo) Paterson
Sydney, Australia: D.J. Harwood & Ass., 1993. Edition of 100.

6 x 2"; 31 unnumbered pages. Concertina style. Screenprinted in 17 colors on 3-ply Red Star Hsun paper. Hand finished with water colour crayons and schlag foils. Screen printed on one continuous sheet, folded, and inserted between bushboy boards. Leather tie closure. Calligraphy, design, and illustration by Dave Wood.

Mountain Man Graphics, Australia, Southern Summer of 1995: "In the ballads and poetry of Banjo Paterson are captured the spirit of the Australian Outback, and the essences of the bushmen and women who pioneered it. The vast distances, the droughts, the floods, the flies, the heat ... and the harsh and beautiful places of Outback Australia were brought to the city people of the late 1880's through the writings of Andrew Barton Paterson.

"A true folk poet, a recorder and publisher of Australian Bush Songs, Banjo brought the legendary magic of the Australian bush into the household, the schools and the government. His mythical ballad Waltzing Matilda would be described as Australia's unofficial national anthem, and there is no doubt he contributed much to Australia's heritage.

"The Man from Snowy River tells the story of a young mountain lad, mounted on a small mountain pony, who rides out with the experienced stockmen in pursuit of a runaway horse. Because of his size, and the size of his pony he is first ridiculed, but when the wild bush horses take to the wild and rugged mountain tracts, he and his pony grow in stature ...."
$295

Rain
By Hone Tuwhare
Sydney, Australia: D.J. Harwood & Ass., 1992. Edition of 100.

6 .5x 2.5" closed; 8 unnumbered pages. Concertina style. Screen printed on Korean paper, Beauty Hseun/Monigami. The word RAIN printed in varnish then hand colored. Decorated with foils. Bound in handmade paper with silk tie closure. Laid in a handmade silk Japanese folder with bone and cloth loop closure. Calligraphy and design by Dave Wood. Signed on colophon by artist.

New Zealand Book Council: "Hone Tuwhare was New Zealand’s most distinguished Maori poet writing in English. He was born in Kaikohe into the Nga Puhi tribe …. He began writing during his apprenticeship on the railways, where he became involved in trade unions. He was an organizer of the first Maori Writers and Artists Conference at Te Kaha in 1973 and participated in the Maori Land March of 1975. Tuwhare won two Montana NZ Book Awards, was Te Mata Poet Laureate, and held two honorary doctorates in literature. In 2003 he was among ten of New Zealand’s greatest living artists named as Arts Foundation of New Zealand Icon Artists. Tuwhare passed away in 2008."

I can
  hear
    you
       making
             small
        holes
      in the
   silence
rain ...

$350 (Last three copies)

Alphabetica
By Dave Wood
Pomoma, Australia: D J Harwood and Associates Private Press, 1992.
Edition of 26.

7.5 x 10 x .5"; 52 unnumbered pages. Printed using water-based pigment inks on Moab 190 gsm 100% archival rag paper. Enhanced with embossing, feathering, and gold foil decoration. Title page in gold foil with title embossed. Bound in paper covers with title letters embossed and debossed. Housed in black clamshell box.

Dave Wood: "This book was a challenging experiment with a successful result. It evolved into a graphic statement of historic content although I did have fun at times running off into whimsical textual byways which I hope has added a personal touch to this book."

A      Alpha
              First letter of the Greek alphabet
              First-class mark in an examination
              Chief star in a constellation
              Fast moving Alpha particles
              North Semitic symbol

(SOLD)

Messing About in Boats
By Dave Wood
Pomoma, Australia: Dave Wood, 2009. One-of-a-Kind.

10.25 x 13.5 x 1"; 20 unnumbered pages. Serigraph pages printed on Canson paper. One tri-fold page. Reflective paper on pastedowns. Handbound with a concertina-fold cover and a fabricated rope to suggest a nautical theme. Japanese stab binding with glass fish tassel. Housed in a simple lidded box of light cover stock (the top royal purple, the bottom black) with a small teaser sample of calligraphy and illustration tipped onto a bottom corner.

Each page has excerpts from Kenneth Graham's Wind in the Willows. The reflective paper on the pastedowns is used playfully for effect to establish the book's magical tone. The text is rendered in different calligraphic styles with color and verve suggesting the lively pace of Graham's story - and above all the sense of joy and fun.

Jan Wood: "Originally these serigraph pages printed on Canson paper commenced their life as larger artworks and the idea was to then develop a book using the graphics as a basis to explore various design computations.

"As this first book evolved, exciting design elements challenged Dave's creative thought process which resulted in this unique book."
(SOLD)