Alternative Press Expo
I love the Alternative Press Expo! It’s my favorite convention of the year. Hundreds of independent artists together under one (sometimes leaky) roof in SF. This year I tabled up with my friends at Volta Press and we were quite busy both days. So busy that I didn’t get all the time that I wanted to carefully check everything out. Two artists, though, really stood out.
Veronica Graham of MuteManifold.com was selling some truly awesome stamped maps. She covered long strips of masa paper with half-inch square linoleum block prints, each block representing one type of landscape, to form complex and gorgeous patterns. Legend of Zelda meets Dutch Quilting meets Adventure Story meets Something Even More Satistfying. Check it out. And while you’re on her site, also check out “California Green”, in her archives. Very cool.
I also liked Karen Knighton’s small illustrated books. Characters, drawn on sheets of thin translucent vellum, float above beautiful painted backgrounds. A great combo of her painting and animation talents, and the end result is very satisfying. You can see a version of the books at birdenvy.com, although a lot of the pleasure of reading the physical book is lost on the screen.
I’m excited to see what will be at next year’s APE!
Tags: artists