Jim Dine at Tandom Press, Madison, WI

Booklyn is proud to assist Tandem Press in bringing the world their first artists book,

Oceans by Jim Dine.

It's a sweet livre deluxe featuring text and photography by Dine.

2005, edition of 30

"The creation of Tandem Press’s first artist book was both exciting and intimidating, especially since it was a collaboration with Jim Dine. Jim proposed the idea at the end of his Tandem residency during September of 2003.

Jim told us about a poem titled Oceans that he had written and was interested in publishing. When he returned to New York he sent us the poem, which consisted of 18 pages of hand written text. Joe Freye and I began our research by selecting two pages from the poem and having a polymer plate made of each to test on our Vandercook letterpress. Jim was happy with the results; therefore we continued to explore appropriate papers and book structures for the project. Jim wanted to use a structure called a French-fold, which calls for each page to be double in thickness. This structure allows the artist to hide any evidence of printing on the verso because the back of any given page is not visible. This is a complicated structure but we were able to find a binder who was willing to accept the challenge.

Many other factors had to be determined beyond the structure and the text. We discussed the possibility of including images and hand-printed end sheet paper. We had conversations about the design of the cover and the drop-spine box that would house the book. Jim sent us a 35 mm negative of one of his photographs; this would be the sole image for the book. The image would first appear hand-colored by the artist and bound into the book. The book would also include an unbound version of the same image, housed in it’s own folio and placed in the back of the drop-spine box underneath the book. Next the end sheet paper had to be resolved. Jim had something in mind and would drop it in the mail to us. Later the following week a package containing a large piece of zebra striped fabric arrived. We scanned a section of the fabric and made a photographic lithography plate from the scan to use in printing the end sheets. Finally, the cover was designed. Using Jim’s own handwriting, along with Palatino, we had plates made for the binder to use when hot foil stamping the spine of the book and the back and front of the drop-spine box. With all of these factors in place Tandem Press’ first artist book was complete."

Paula McCarthy Panczenko, Tandem Press

Jim Dine’s book Oceans measures 11 x 9 inches and was pulled in an edition of 30. Each book was printed on Zerkall Book and was bound in a hollow-spine case binding by Priscilla Spitler at Hands On Bookbinding using black Italian Cialux book cloth.

This page is maintained by Marshall Weber.