~HAIRY DAYS by KELIE BOWMAN
yep, for sure I have my own little collection of handmade zines from CINDERS.
esp those made by CINDERS co-founder KELIE BOWMAN. I’m sure many of them are among those exhibited in the DIAMOND LEAVES show in CHINA, and in fact I’m willing to bet, this one – ‘HAIRY DAYS’ – produced in September of 2007, in a limited edition of 42 – is among the many “brilliant” gems currently on display.
hey, when’s the last time anything YOU (!!) bought for $10 – ended up in a museum show – and, one half around the world . . . at that !!
the zine cover is ‘hard-ish’ card stock folded over to make a book cover. the 19 paper & a few thin tissue insert pages are held in place by that slightly ragged, machine sewn binding edge – about 1 inch in from the left hand edge.
the price, $10 at the time – is still visible in faint pencil, on the top right hand corner.
open the book – and you can see the zine cover is maybe made from the re-cycled outtakes of a screen print ?
yes, she signed it for me: Kelie B.
Hairy Days by Kelie Bowman
edition 26/42
cinders press
info@cindersgallery.com
www.cindersgallery.com
September 07
the third page in – is a tissue insert with a hand drawn tree outlining or echoing the following page. it is done in brown marker and looks to be unique to each edition. that is, it is drawn by hand into each separate edition, while the rest of the book / zine seems printed, digitally, or silkscreened ? . . . in fine black ink ?
the marker gestures: the hand … of the hand … in the handmade book.
the following page: and we get to the ‘root’ of the matter.
trees/nature vs. people/nature
male vs. female
yin and yang – the endless circle of life. conflict – at play ? at rest ?
but wait her hair . . . is covering his face – doesn’t that mean something, too ?
are we at war ? and don’t even know it ?
“MAKE ME”
make me – do me ?
make me – perform ? make me obey ? make me – fight ? make me – confront you.
Make My Day ?
Make My magic ?
“STOP THE WAR”.
all zines want to say something. all artists want to say – something.
from the inside (magic) – going straight . . . out (the world).
hairy days . . what was happening in 2007 ? couldn’t be any worse than what’s happening today, SEPT 2012, the world seems to be on fire. set ablaze by the eternal yin yang, 2 halves of global civilization clashing head on – the western civilization vs. the muslim civilization . . . and the web itself is the arrow – YouTube !! being the arrow that shoots through – and sets an electricity, cursing through the global Tower of Babel.
tell me, is YouTube – handmade, or what ?
freedom of expression – is a zine. and when it speaks, with power and poetry: that is Brilliance, leave it to the Chinese to be upfront with great words, like that.
another hand drawn insert of tissue, and marker.
this zine is kind of contrary. it is very peaceful outwardly, but takes on the BIG issues.
it covers a lot of ground for a very small book.
oh yeah, it is approx 8-1/2 x 5-1/2 inches (!!)
the book is also about: the self.
the organic growing self. the rings of age, experience.
the portals – that allow others – to enter.
this is one of Kelie’s signature images. the tree head – on the top of the woman . . amongst the mountains.
it’s a great metaphor for ‘the’ artist, like Kelie – who looks out, and sees all, and stores much, and has even more to say. nature/nuture/communicate. house. store. open door – walk in. communicate. preserve the knowledge of the world. hitch hike through the mountains.
through the mind.
it’s a great metaphor for an artist/blogger. who sees much and stores more and communicates in trails of smoke.
puffs of smoke.
something sad going on there, I can relate.
the last page: “don’t fall.”
okay, I’ll try not too.
world says: me too.