To Stretch the Night (2001)

To Stretch the Night  is  a  series  of  eighteen  unique  books.  Elena  Popova has created monotypes for eleven poems by women poets from Sappho to Anna Akhmatova. The text was handset in Gill Sans type cast by Michael Bixler and letterpress printed onto the monotypes. This involved shifting the poems’ placement to suit the differences in composition among the pages. The custom-made black-lacquered walnut covers are joined by a spine of black calfskin. A unique bas-relief bronze sculpture by Luben Boykov enhances the cover of each book. Because of the variations in the edition, the books are colour-coded  rather than numbered.
$6500 plus shipping and tax where applicable.   Sold Out.
About the artists:

Elena Popova and Luben Boykov were born in Sofia, Bulgaria, and both graduated with an MFA degree from the National Academy of Fine Arts. They moved to Canada in 1990, and since that time they have been living and working in Newfoundland.

Elena has worked almost exclusively in monotypes since 1997. Her works are a vibrant, painterly interpretation of the technique of monoprinting. She paints with oil on plexiglass and prints on Fabriano paper. Elena’s imagery is emotionally explosive, rich and a complex momentary registration of the spiritual in a state of constant flux.

Luben works primarily in bronze. Many of his sculptures utilize grasses as a connective tissue in a context of material transformation. They are made of grass blades bound with wax and cast directly in bronze, reflecting the themes of love, intimate dialogue, and unity. Luben’s work varies in size from large-scale outdoor sculptures to small interior pieces.

Tara Bryan was born in Texas and studied music and art in university. She has an MFA in painting from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where she also learned letterpress printing and bookbinding. From 1987 to 1992 she traded work for courses at the Center for book Arts in New York City. Tara has lived in Newfoundland since 1992. She is inspired by the process of collaboration and the unexpected outcome of working closely with other artists.