Sie sind auf Seite 1von 4

DAVID DRUM

BURNING BOOKS
PHOTOS BY JOHN HOPPER

1 2

Bad Blood. 10" x 12". Poem by Arther Rimbaud. English translation by 2. Bad Blood Binding. Six sewing points hold exterior paper strip to linen
David Drum. 1. Interior page. Black paper cutout images photocopied tape binding cover support, tape distressed with blue marker. Nine to
onto 8½" x 11" card stock, then individually attached to extensions twenty long black strings are attached to binding thread, some strung
with linen tape, and extensions sewn side bound to backing. with black beads, bits of lapis lazuli, and small crosses to give a creepy,
spiderweb-like Gothic feel to the hand as you pick up Rimbaud’s dark,
fantastic poem.

merican book artist Drum’s poetry and that of Hugo, Yeats, Rimbaud,
David Drum has worked as a Hol- Marvell & Frost. An edition usually means
lywood prop assistant, a Las Vegas that each book is the same. In Burning Book
croupier, a funeral director in the Editions, each book is unique. Archival papers
South, a fry cook in the Midwest, a and other materials are hand-cut or torn and
San Joaquin Valley ranch foreman, the books individually assembled. The look and
and an encyclopedia salesman and feel of each book is varied during production,
hot tamale vendor in New Orleans. making each book of the edition different and
David founded Burning Book Press rhythmically distinct.
of Los Angeles in Venice, Califor- Artists’ books from Burning Book Press are
nia, in 1984. The Press produces in several private and public collections, and
colorful, collectible artists’ books the books have been shown in exhibitions in the
in limited editions of both David United States and abroad. 

Dancing Around the Golden Calf. 6" x 9". Idolatry in pagan Egypt. Graphics text, that
is, the graphic images are the text. There are no words. Canson paper cutouts made with
pinking shears pasted onto Canson paper pages, after sewn center binding.

22 Bound & Lettered  Winter 09


1 2
MacBeth. 6" x 9".
1. Simple three point linen thread
sewn binding. The sewing is in
the upper half of the book rather
than centered on spine. The long
tails and knots add a tactile feel
to the reading experience.
2. Interior spread with photo-
copied cutout graphics on
commercial red card stock. This
double truck – on two separate
sheets instead of the center
spread – requires extra care
in binding.

Both MacBeth and The robots are nothing if not versatile are from the press’ series of mechanically reproduced visual chapbooks of poetry, Edition Noir Books.

Modern Love. 6" x 9". A whimsical dialectic of contemporary love and


contemporary separation.
1. Interior. Canson art pages torn by hand and center bound, onto which
The robots are nothing if not versatile. 6" x 9". Mechanistic cutouts pasted and torn, with “eye” detail cut from commercial paint
varations on a haunting line by Aldous Huxley. Text in English and strip sample.
Hebrew was photocopied onto commercial recycled cardstock, 2. Binding. Six sewing points of corde de transite cinched with a square
then handsewn with linen thread. knot, on sewn center bound 6" x 9" graphics text book, with no words.

Bound & Lettered  Winter 09 23


Sailing to Byzantium.
6" x 9". Lines of the
classic poem have
been photocopied
onto art paper, hand-
torn with edges hand-
colored, then pasted
with cut and torn art
paper cutouts onto
center-sewn book.

Snowy Evening.
Sailing to Byzantium. 6" x 9". William Butler Yeats’ bittersweet
6" x 9". Robert Frost’s
journey to the dreamy edge of history. Cut and torn art paper on
classic meditation on
cut and torn art paper. Text has been photocopied. Blocks torn out
life. Text photocopied
by hand and edges hand tinted with various colors.
onto pages. Paper
cutout details cut and
pasted after binding.

1
2

The Blue Train. 6" x 9". A dream of surreal hor-


ror set aboard a train hurtling toward oblivion.
Text by David Drum. 1. Interior. Text photo-
copied onto pages, sewn center bound, with
paper cutouts pasted onto page.
2. Cover. Five sewing point center binding
plus plastic kite twine with glass attachments.
Cover is glossy blue poster board onto which
photocopied titles and cutouts were pasted.

24 Bound & Lettered  Winter 09


The Alchemist. 6" x 9". A medieval fairy tale.
Cut paper and photocopied text of a whimsi-
cal poem by David Drum pasted onto pages
after binding.

1 3

Song of the Children. 6" x 9". A book of images in the 2. Cut and torn art paper cutouts pasted onto art paper pages,
rising and falling spirit of a children’s chorus. some wrapped around page to next page.
1. Interior pages of sewn center bound artist’s book. 3. Cover. Four point center bound cover, folded and pasted
After binding, Canson paper was torn, cut, and pasted with card stock inside for support, bound with black hemp.
onto pages, between pages, and sometimes around pages. Canson art paper cutouts pasted on after binding.

Bound & Lettered  Winter 09 25

Das könnte Ihnen auch gefallen