Under The Wings of Artemis

PAGE

66 - 67

The cover of the book contains a lenticular photograph, a type of image that shifts when seen from different angles. Here we see an intriguing image of battling sailing ships at sea interlaced with Titian’s portrait of a reclining Aphrodite. The frontispiece consists of two-layer monotype portraits of Nelson and Emma printed on transparent paper that is hinged in such a way so that the top image can be lifted to reveal a second image of the pair, now transformed by unsettling changes.

Hobson juxtaposes the lovers’ tales through witty text and imagery that includes original abstract acrylic wash paintings, additional images of sea battles and Aphrodite, and cutout windows.

While both affairs ended badly, the book Nelson and Emma ends in delight, thanks to a wonderful construction that combines a sailing ship and Aphrodite in pop-up form, with the words “all is fair in love and war.”

Nelson and Emma: Aphrodite & Ares Contemplate Admiral Nelson & Lady Hamilton
Charles Hobson

Don Glaister has dedicated his text not to a beloved person, but to a treasured structure. Brooklyn Bridge: A Love Song is a luxuriously fabricated book comprised of five “portraits” of the iconic bridge on sanded and burnished aluminum pages. Carefully wrought assemblages and Glaister’s original poetry augment the homage to this marvel of engineering and aesthetics:

“The Bridge moves.
Vertical to horizontal to diagonal,
joined in a dizzying dance by sweeping lines
inspired by a natural grace.”

The subdued constructivist imagery evokes the subtle play of light and atmosphere on the geometric forms of the bridge. The artist’s choice of metal as a material alludes to the steel construction of the bridge and offers up a tactile promise of invention, strength, and resilience.

Like all good love songs, Glaister’s book presents an intimate and expressive portrayal of the object of his admiration. The viewer can see and feel the artist’s affection in every refrain.

Brooklyn Bridge: A Love Song
Don Glaister