Edith Abeyta’s “208,” inspired by Marie Antoinette’s prison cell number
“Novel Constructions: Artists Create Monumental Books” at the Long Beach Museum of Art presents mixed media installations and sculptures by six artists inspired by the idea of “the book,” which they expand and enlarge in multiple dimensions from six feet square to over 30 feet long.
Selected by guest curator Jean Clad, works by Edith Abeyta, Beatriz Mejia-Krumbein, Mary Ellen Long, Carol Shaw Sutton, Genie Shenk, and Cheryl Sorg will be installed at the museum this summer from May 1 to August 16. Each artist is inspired by some aspect of “bookness” and the exhibition is unified by the oversized scale of their works, amplifying the traditional intimate scale of books to emphasize their meanings.
Over the course of “Novel Constructions,” there will be opportunities for viewers to explore the field of artists’ books and to make their own books. In the first project, “Accordion Books” , on May 17 th from 1:00 — 3:00 PM, participants will work together to create an accordion book that tells a story about their family through text and visual elements. Over the course of the exhibition, Director of Collections Sue Ann Robinson will give two presentations about artists’ books on Free Fridays, May 29 and August 7, featuring books from the Long Beach Museum of Art permanent collection.
For more information, visit www.lbma.org.
