Tracing Outlines

By Rhiannon Alpers
Colorado: Gazelle & Goat Press, 2022. Edition of 20 + AP.
 
3.5” x 5.5" closed; 11 spreads. Letterpress printed on Cranes Lettra Bright White, using polymer plates for the type and magnet sheet monoprint for the images. Endsheets digitally printed on Hiromi paper kozo natural. Cover foil-stamped and made of laminated layers of laser-cut St. Armands handmade paper, with a false accordion binding. Signed and numbered by the artist.
 
Gazelle & Goat Press: "'Tracing Outlines' compiles a multitude of layered shapes to reconstruct landscapes, stemming from aerial views of the places the author has lived. Created using cut sheet magnets and monoprinting, the shapes themselves intertwine and overlay throughout the book, to become landscapes in their own right. The layered shapes illustrate the melding of concept of place over ones’ lifespan, through many homes, cities, travels and countries.
 
"In contrast, the cover portrays the terrestrial landscape of the Rocky Mountains as visible from the artists’ studio. The shift in perspective symbolizes the act of taking an inventory of all the places one could go or have been – especially when it’s not possible to do so; COVID.
 
"Water is a touchstone for the artist and a place for reflection. She used aerial maps of water-edged cities to create the physical magnet forms/ shapes which are the mountain edges in the book. The cities included are: Encinitas, Santa Barbara, Mission Bay (San Diego), London, Chicago (North & South sides), San Francisco and Oakland, Denver."