Limited edition of 88 numbered copies, signed by both artists
"The format of 'Book of Hours' is known as a blow book, a historical structure originally designed as a magic trick which allows the book presenter to show completely different visual sequences of pages within the same book. 'Book of Hours' contains twelve distinct sequences, six on the 'Ante Meridiem' side and six on the 'Post Meridiem' side. The book is divided into separate sequences by a set of tabs at the edges of the pages. To start viewing, cradle the spine of the book in the palm of your left hand and grasp the fore edge of the book at the upper corner with your right hand. With your right thumb positioned above the uppermost set of tabs, gently flex the book to allow groups of pages to flip beneath your thumb. Once you have viewed the first sequence, move your thumb down over the next set of tabs and flip through the pages to view the second sequence. Continue in this manner until you've viewed six distinct sequences of pages. Then flip the whole book over and repeat the process in order to view the other six sequences"--Box
"This book was printed using letterpress, digital and Risograph printing on Mohawk Superfine and Hahnemühle Bugra paper. The binding was completed at Flying Fish Press and Coyote Bones Press. The box was designed and fabricated by Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder. Special thanks to Joseph Gage who did all the Risograph printing and laser cutting of the page tabs and to Craig Jensen for his tireless advice and assistance with the foil stamping. Many thanks to Asa Nakata and Connie Lee who worked from home on the digital portrait files of Julie's family and friends during the many months of lockdown"--Colophon
Issued in a red-cloth-covered box with four flaps that overlap in the front, held together with invisible magnetic closure. Top and bottom flaps stamped with images of blue cones, paper title label attached to spine. Inside of box is lined with orange paper printed with information on blow book format; information on each sequence (including order of presentation, designer, and subject matter), and colophon
"[About Ante Meridiem: First sequence,] Questions we asked ourselves about time during the pandemic; [Second sequence], Thoughts about current times inspired by the Doomsday Clock; [Third sequence], Portraits of Julie's family and friends during lockdown; [Fourth sequence], News headlines with infections rate in Texas from 2020-21; [Fifth sequence], Photographs of hands of Keri's family and friends; [Sixth sequence], One day from sunrise to sunset. [About Post meridiem: First sequence], Questions we asked ourselves about time during the pandemic; [Second sequence], A response to the first few months of the pandemic; [Third sequence], Portraits of Julie's family and friends, masked, during lockdown; [Fourth sequence], Thoughts about time as an eternal current; [Fifth sequence], Crystallization over words and time; [Sixth sequence], One day from sunrise to sunset"--Box
AAPGAB copy 39088016027302 number 71 of 88
Contents:
Ante meridiem -- Post meridiem
Summary:
A blow book in two sequences, Ante Meridiem and Post Meridiem, musing on the artists' perceptions of time during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Illustrated with portraits of the artists' friends and family, musings on time, illustrations of and statistics about the COVID-19 virus, and sequences of the Doomsday Clock, all on tabbed leaves. Housed in a four-flap folding case; the table of contents, colophon, and instructions on how to read the book are printed on the inside of the case
"'Book of Hours' was written, illustrated and designed by Julie Chen & Keri Miki-Lani Schroeder. This long-distance collaboration, between California and Texas, took place during the 2020-2021 pandemic. The first and last sequences on each side of the book were designed by the two artists collaboratively, and the other eight sequences were designed individually by each artist. These separate narratives exist concurrently within the same space and time of the book but are activated sequentially by the reader. The cone motif used throughout was inspired by the concept of the light cone which in general and special relativity denotes a single point in space and time." -- Colophon
