February 15, 2024

Language, Decipherment, and Translation – from Then to Now at The Grolier Club, February 29 – May 11, 2024

“A new exhibition of contemporary artists’ books at the Grolier Club celebrates hundreds of years of communication through real and imagined languages. On view from February 29 through May 11, 2024 in the Club’s second floor gallery, Language, Decipherment, and Translation – from Then to Now presents a kaleidoscopic presentation of more than 50 books, collages, prints, and scrolls that feature hieroglyphics, translations of classic folktales, and other forms of written and visual language.

Curated by Grolier Club member Deirdre Lawrence—who was inspired in part by the recent 200th anniversary of the decipherment of the Rosetta Stone (1822)—the exhibition features many intricately detailed artists’ books by visionary contemporary artists. “Drawn primarily from my personal collection of approximately 2,000 books and prints, and growing, this exhibition reflects my collecting interests spanning the ancient world, especially Egypt; the work of Walt Whitman, who was himself enthralled by Ancient Egypt; the history of art, especially photography; and books made by contemporary artists,” said Lawrence.” — The Grolier Club

Charles Reuben Hale, Henry Morton, S. Huntington Jones, Report of the committee appointed by the Philomathean Society…of the University of Pennsylvania to translate the inscription on the Rosetta Stone (Philadelphia, Pa.: The Society, 1858, first edition). 3.
Timothy C. Ely, The Flight into Egypt: Binding the Book, Foreword by Terence McKenna (San Francisco, Ca.: Chronicle Books, 1995). Reproduction of unique book completed in 1985.
Islam Mahmoud Mohamed Aly, Marginalia 1 (Iowa City, Iowa: Self-published, 2013, Artists Proof #2 of an edition of 20). Laser cut Arabic calligraphy. Handmade flax, abaca and cotton paper. Coptic and Ethiopian binding with Plexiglass covers.
Brian Dettmer, The Migration of Symbols (Brooklyn, NY: unique sculpted book, acrylic varnish, 2014). Intervention of a 1956 edition of Count Goblet D’Alviella’s book of the same title (1894).
Joydeb and Moyna Chitrakar, Tsunami (Chennai, IMD: Tara Books, 2019, no. 13 of an edition of 1,000). Silk screened scroll in the form of a book.
Allen Crawford and Walt Whitman, Whitman Illuminated: Song of Myself, illustrated by Allen Crawford. (Portland, Ore. & Brooklyn, NY: Tin House Books, 2014). 8.
Meg Hitchcock, Chanting the Square Deific, A poem by Walt Whitman. (New York: Self-published, 2014). Unique collage, letters cut from an old German Bible.
José Maria Sicilia, Le Livre des Mille Nuits et Une Nuit, volets IV (Paris, FR: Michael Woolworth, 2015, no. 10 of an edition of 20, signed by the artist). Printed by Marc Moyano, Julien Torhy, Michael Woolworth (lithographs and woodcuts) and Vincent Fardoux (photogravure). Embroidery by Carmen Vassal’lo. Based on the 1910 edition of The 1001 Nights, translation by J. C. Mardrus (Fasquelle).
Laura Davidson, Useful Knowledge (Boston, Ma.: Laura Davidson, 1998, no. 21 of 25 copies, signed by the artist). Linoleum prints, some hand-colored, bound in painted wooden boards.
Sabra Moore, Reconstruction Project (Brooklyn, NY: Self-published, 1984, color Xerox with gessoed cover, edition of 30). Created by Sabra Moore and nineteen North and South American women artists including Sharon Gilbert, Jaune Quick-To-See Smith, Nancy Spero, among others.
Didier Mutel, La Pierre Rosette (The Rosetta Stone) (Orchamps, FR: Atelier Didier Mutel, 2015, no. 15 of an edition of 50, signed and dated by the artist). Eau forte etching on copper, printed in black on Arches paper. Printed at a 1.1 scale with its ancient precursor and contains three original alphabets designed by Mutel.