Sponsored by the University Libraries Arts and Exhibits committee, “Bound and Unbound V: Altered Book Exhibition” features an exhibit of altered books, which are a mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form by altering its state or meaning. Books from any source and media are eligible for this exhibition, and all work must be original and executed within the last three years.
“”Bound and Unbound” is now in its tenth year, and the Libraries are committed to exhibiting some of the world’s best altered book entries, as well as growing our online study collection of altered books,” said committee member Sarah A. Hanson-Pareek, digitization and photographs curator at the University Libraries. “The response to calls has always been very positive, and we currently have 167 works in our online collection, representing many diverse artists.”
This year’s juror is Jessica Drenk. Drenk is an American artist, who was raised in Montana where she developed an appreciation for the natural world that remains an important inspiration to her artwork today. Tactile and textural, her sculptures highlight the chaos and beauty that can be found in simple materials. Drenk’s work is also influenced by systems of information and the impulse to develop an encyclopedic understanding of the world. Working with altered books for over 15 years, Drenk’s work can be found in private collections throughout the world, and can be seen in galleries across the United States. Her work is a part of several corporate collections, such as Fidelity Investments and the Macallan distillery in Scotland, as well as university collections, including Yale University Art Gallery. Drenk has been the recipient of several awards, including the International Sculpture Center’s Outstanding Student Achievement in Contemporary Sculpture Award, and her work has been pictured in “Sculpture” and “Interior Design” magazines, as well as the “Workshop Guide to Ceramics.” Drenk received an MFA in 3D Art from the University of Arizona in 2007 and a bachelor’s degree from Pomona College in 2002. A working artist since 2007, Drenk’s home and studio are currently outside Rochester, New York. More information about Drenk and her art can be found at http://www.jessicadrenk.com.
Entries for “Bound and Unbound V” are open to the public and artists can submit up to three entries by April 2. There is no fee to enter the exhibition and selected works will be on display at USD’s University Libraries second floor exhibition cases from Aug. 26 through Jan. 3, 2020 as well as entered into the altered book collection on the Digital Library of South Dakota at https://explore.digitalsd.org and the Digital Public Library of America at https://dp.la. A full prospectus and entry form for the exhibition can be found at http://libguides.usd.edu/BU5.
For more information, please contact Hanson-Pareek at Sarah.HansonPareek@usd.edu, Danielle De Jager-Loftus at Danielle.Loftus@usd.edu or Michael Boring at Michael.Boring@usd.edu.
Photo credit: “Grand Rapids 1937” by Lynn Skorhal, 2014.
