A girl in an apron dotted with colored oil paint could be seen
working on an old-fashioned machine demonstrating how to print
drawings produced from copperplates. This was not just some film,
but a real life scene taking place at the Book Art Square at the
Frankfurt
Book Fair 2002, which formally got underway on October 9 in
Germany.
The techniques of copperplate printing were invented some 500 years
ago, and can still be seen today, mainly in published paintings
such as those by artists akin to Picasso. First the printer needs
to engrave a painting onto a copperplate, color it with oil paint,
and then roll it with a roller. After covering the plate with a
piece of paper and passing them through the machine, a vivid
drawing will appear before the audiences very eyes. This is the
first time that the Frankfurt Book Fair has provided such a special
forum for producers of prints, painter's books, artist's books and
book objects.
Besides the copperplate printing process demonstrations, visitors
can also see samples of stone printing.
According to H. Stefan Bartkowiak, who is responsible for editing
the yearbook of Bartkowiaks Forum Book Art, he and his colleagues
came up with the idea of opening a book art square because they
have collected so many books published by artists, handsetters and
printers rather than actual publishers. These books are made from
unique materials such as the cloth, handmade papers, colored
linocut, wood cut, leather, and even grass. They are published in
small volumes, usually between 10 to 50, so they have little chance
of being seen by most readers. The book art square is intended to
provide readers with such an opportunity. Some artists and printers
of the books, mainly from Europe, come to the book fair and host a
booth here. Once a visitor finds what he is interested in they can
find the name and position of relevant people in the catalogue
provided and go directly to the artists themselves.
The arrangement of these stands is totally different from others.
All the artists are trying their beset to show off their unique
personalities as flamboyantly as possible. Some are drawing cards
on the spot, while some decorate their stands with cloths in
different forms, colors, and designs.
At
present no such books come from Asia and the reasons are
complicated, but Stefan said he hopes to see the exhibition held in
China in the future. China is so well known for its paper-making
and printing technologies, he said.
(china.org.cn by staff reporter Li Jinhui, October 11, 2002)