Van vliet founded janus press in 1955, through which she has published handprinted books illustrated with original prints and pulp paintings. The collection is organized by individual books of the press and for each book there exist drawings, proofs, layouts, and designs. The landscapes on view, printed at harvey littleton studios in spruce pine, nc between 1993 and 2010, depict dramatic rock formations from new zealand, ireland, and the american southwest. Claire van vliet, book artist extraordinaire and recipient of the macarthur genius grant, writes a book describing how a few of her and her colleagues artists books were bound. Van vliet, claire and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Co curated by book artist felicia rice and gallery director shelby graham. Past exhibitions brooks museum memphis brooks museum of art.
Janus press has to date produced approximately 100 publications books, pamphlets, and broadsides, many of them designed, illustrated, typeset, printed sometimes on paper made by the artist, and bound by van vliet herself in a wellequipped studio, printshop, bindery of her own design. In addition to the more than 90 artist s books that van vliet has published, she has also created hundreds of drawings, prints, pulp paintings, and broadsides. Library of congress rare books and special collections. Assistant professor, english department, university of memphis and julian. Woven and interlocking book structures claire van vliet and elizabeth steiner, woven and interlocking book structures newark, vermont. Claire van vliet is widely recognized as a master printmaker and has won numerous awards including election to the national academy, two honorary doctorates of f. Number of two hundred copies signed by claire van vliet. Claire van vliet tumbling blocks for pris and bruce. She was slightly ahead of the curve of the conceptualarts movement of the 1960s, which. Celebration of paper exhibit the exhibit included both van vliet s handmade books and pulp paintings. Claire van vliet national museum of women in the arts.
Claire van vliet book art, book sculpture, book making. Artist, printmaker and publisher claire van vliet presented the 2009 ettinger book artist lecture on saturday, october 31, 2009 at 2 p. National education association grantee, 19761980, macarthur fellow, 19891994. Corcoran artists books gw libraries george washington university. Since 1955 she has produced books of outstanding quality and creativity at her janus press. This exhibition brings together a selection of vitreographs by claire van vliet, a renowned printmaker and book artist. Book artist claire van vliet on the janus press book artist claire van vliet on the janus press nov 2, 2009 claire van vliet is the owner of the janus press founded in 1955 located, since 1966, in newark. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Book artist claire van vliet has, at her janus press, constructed dazzling broadsides and artist books based on poetry by, among others. Maple ridge gallery opened an exhibit today of the blackandwhite works of claire van vliet, the book artist whose janus press has transformed elegant paper into works of striking beauty. Claire van vliet, the most experienced of the artists we are featuring today, published her first artist book in 1955. Oclcs webjunction has pulled together information and resources to assist library staff as they consider how to handle coronavirus. Learn about the artist and find an indepth biography, exhibitions, original artworks, the latest news, and sold auction prices. The book was published in 2002 and is sadly out of print.
Thoughts on bookmaking by claire van vliet of the janus press. Numerous and frequentlyupdated resource results are available from this search. Included is an interview with van vliet, an introduction that outlines the influence of landscape in her early years, a chronology, and a detailed listing of illustrations. Member of national academy, society printers boston, vermont arts and sciences. Van vliet received her ba from san diego state college and her mfa from claremont graduate school.
Claire van vliet was born in 1933 in ottawa, ontario, lost her parents as an adolescent, and moved to california to live with an aunt. Lovell, ellen mcculloch, claire van vliet, and janus press. Landscape prints by claire van vliet genetta mclean on. Though some books are entirely van vliets creation, from the writing and art to the finished product, janus press has also designed and. Claire van vliet is a printmaker and book artist who has been honored with a john d. Claire van vliet, book artist, typographer and founder of janus press has donated her collections as well as archival material to the library of congress. Van vliet s work in black and white, which is not part of her janus collection, is most striking when she portrays the complexity of the natural world. She founded the janus press in san diego, california in 1955, later moving her business with her to newark, vermont, where she continues to live. Van vliet, whose many honors include a macarthur fellowship, is the proprietor of the janus press, located in newark. Twenty years of artists books from the national museum of. In an amazing act of generosity towards the book arts community, claire van vliet and elizabeth steiner have made their book woven and interlocking book structures available for free at the internet archive.
A collaboration between vermonters claire van vliet, proprietor of janus press, and judy fairclough sgantas, an artist and gardener. An anthology, 1975, claire van vliet american, born. Aug 9, 2014 this pin was discovered by barbara hutsell. Woven and interlocking book structures by claire van vliet. Claire van vliet s landscape, will be given at 7 p. Contemporary female book artists washington university. Van vliet founded janus press, which publishes small editions of artist books, in 1955 in san diego. These directions on how to bind her books involving. The artists seeks out rock formations on her travels. Cocurated by book artist felicia rice and gallery director shelby graham. As a public health precaution due to covid19 coronavirus, all smithsonian museums are closed temporarily and all public programs, events, and tours are canceled through june 1. See more ideas about book art, book binding and handmade books. Claire van vliet is a graphic artist, a printmaker, a bookmaker, a papermaker, and the founder of the janus press in 1955. Her work has been exhibited throughout the united states and abroad and has been featured in numerous publications, books and articles.
Canadian born and living in vermont, claire van vliet has a passion for understanding the natural world, and finds that drawing with ink and pencil and lithograph engraving of those subjects are conducive to that understanding. Join facebook to connect with claire van vliet and others you may know. The books were presented on open pedestals without a glassplexiglass cover. The book arts library of congress rare books and special. The corcoran artists book collection consists of approximately 300 artists books, which are works of. This unbound book of seventeen lithographs and one woodcut on display for the. While her roots are in traditional typographic forms, van vliet has moved beyond the boundaries of standard book design through her free composition of text pages, her incorporation of pictorial material with text, and her innovations in book.
Originally from canada, van vliet came to california to study art and received a master of fine arts from claremont. A couple of weeks ago, i visited the brattleboro museum and art center to take in the claire van vliet. A literary text is, for a book artist, like a score for a musician or a script for an actor. This exhibition celebrated the fiftieth anniversary of the janus press, founded by claire van vliet, by showcasing a selection of their books from the national gallery of art librarys artists book collection. Book artist claire van vliet, surrounded by the papers and the landscape she loves, is always ready to create. Their work was featured in several exhibitions at key galleries and museums, including the racine art museum and the bates college, museum of art. Claire van vliet is the owner of founded in 1955 located, since 1966, in newark, vermont. Please practice handwashing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times.
Contemporary female book artists washington university in st. Book artist claire van vliet has, at her janus press, constructed dazzling broadsides and artist books based on poetry by, among others, hayden carruth, galway kinnell, and margaret kaufman. World heritage encyclopedia, the aggregation of the largest online encyclopedias available, and the most definitive collection ever assembled. These directions on how to bind her books involving atypical techniques of slits, slots and weaves. Science and the artists book smithsonian institution libraries. Claire van vliet born august 9, 1933, canadian artist.
Van vliet spent her childhood in the area of england near stonehenge, where her father. A journal from british columbia by hoagland, edward coolbaugh. She was educated at san diego state university in california where she received a bachelor of arts and at claremont college graduate school where she was awarded a. Bookmaker claire van vliet artist profile seven days. Claire van vliet born 1933 in ottawa, ontario is an artist, illustrator, and typographer who founded janus press in san diego, california in 1955. In 1982, several seattle book arts and printmaking groups hosted claire van vliet to do two things in one afternoon. Curator ruth fine from the national gallery of art will present a lecture for an exhibition of work by nationally renowned printmaker claire van vliet at the bates college museum of art friday, jan. Janus press checklist 1990 by janus press van vliet, claire and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. Four slipcases containing 16 book models are enclosed with the book in a clothcovered clamshell box. This work is a double alphabet book, with classical roman letter forms entwined with plant life and insects. In 1989 van vliet was honored with a macarthur fellowship, the first ever awarded to a book artist. Claire van vliet and the janus press national gallery of art. About the artist her early exposure to nature heightened claire van vliet s interest in the outdoors and influenced her desire to celebrate the landscape in her book artwork. Claire van vliet is a renowned book artist who founded the janus press in 1955 and has produced groundbreaking innovations in the book arts field for more than six decades.
Claire van vliet, 2009 ettinger book artist series uwm. Claire van vliet is widely recognized as a master printmaker and has won numerous awards, including election to the national academy, two honorary doctorates of fine arts and the prestigious macarthur prize fellowship. Artist claire van vliet s northeast kingdom skies started small. Claire van vliet, kilclooney night, 1998, vitreograph, 23. Macarthur foundation prize fellowship and an ingram merrill foundation award. She founded the janus press in 1955 and has published over one hundred books with original artwork of her own and other artists. Janus press collection selected special collections. On a morning in vermonts northeast kingdom, claire van vliet moves around her garden with a visitor, gathering tomatoes for lunch with quiet efficiency.
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