Meeting the Alchemist

Along with six other artists “Meeting the Alchemist” was created. We combined our unique backgrounds, experiences, and talents with our passion for words, images, and curiosity. “Meeting the Alchemist” was inspired by our exploration of creating mono prints which have been used in this varied edition of 8. Using a few agreed upon elements each artist created one book and contributed to the one shared version. The lessons learned in the story represent the real life experience of the seven of us working together. Just like the spirits of this story evolved so did each of us.

Single sheet maze structure on BFK Rives, assortment of mono prints layered with a beads, and woven paper; hard cover with book cloth and beads.

Varied edition of 8

8 x 6 x 2.5 inches, 48 inches when stretched out, 30 pages

Created in 2023

Photograph by Debbi Commodore

©Debbi Commodore 2023

Meeting the Alchemist-2

Take a Moment

Beginning pre-pandemic, this piece continues exploring the ordinary spaces of my days and the connection to water as a space of transformation. I designed the work to push the traditional book form and to use the movement of the structure as a symbol of a year. Each time the book is arranged it is uniquely sculpted with hills and valleys representing life’s joys and disappointments and mountains and curves representing life’s grief and celebrations. With the realities of 2020 the piece evolved to hold the views and reactions of Americans to the pandemic in the signatures (Pew Research March 2021 survey).

Structure/Medium/Materials: Coptic stitch structure with 366 signatures; assorted one-of-a-kind paste papers, Kozo paper, assorted paper and expired work journal pages

Created in 2022; one of a kind

2 x 2 x 39 inches; 4,392 pages

Photographs by: Rachel Watson

©Debbi Commodore 2022

Spaces to Receive

The push of discomfort, the pull of hope

I move in the ordinary spaces of my days

Warm water on my face gently awakens me

Gentle mist tickles my skin as I rush out the door

Puddle ripples mark where I have been

Cool water from the glass provokes my finger tips

Still water of the slack tide reflects an image of a stranger

Hot water unsettles me as I wash up after a meal

Droplets of rain race down the window distracting my gaze

Hot steam from the kettle dances and sings beckoning me back

In the ordinary spaces of my days

The water receives me

Might these be a baptism?

Might these be my spaces to receive transformation?

Artist designed paste paper covering a unique coptic bound book with 12 signatures of woven pages from an expired work journal providing the space to house 24 pastel interpretations of water.

9 x 8.75 x 1 inches

©Debbi Commodore 2020

Photograph by Ross Maulhausen

Spaces to Receive Video

Revealing Invisible Patterns: A Binding Sampler

Stitching is visible and invisible revealing of pattern. Visibly the pattern of stitches bind the section to the cover. Quiet stitches made over the course of time hold memory of daily hopes, despairs, joys and pains until one is ready to look back and hear what they have to reveal. Rilke’s lines capture the invisible patterns in stitching:

In the traffic of our days

may we attend to each thing

so that patterns are revealed

amidst the offerings of chance.

All things want to be heard,

so let us listen to what they say.

In the end we will hear what we are:

The orchard or the road leading past.

A collection of samples from 1-2-&3-Section Sewings from Non-adhesive binding volume II (Keith Smith), 59 non-adhesive binding structures, sheets from The New York Review of Books, January 1971-January 1972, 7.25 x 6.25 x 6.25 inches, one of a kind

©Debbi Commodore 2019

Photograph by Ross Maulhausen

Chronos and Kairos

At what points in a year will Kairos, moments or opportune times, be revealed? What if the chronological year was shaped like a book that had not been yet been written? And what if this book pushed the traditional book form and included markers where Kairos were sculpted along-side the hills and valleys representing life’s joys and disappointments—mountains and curves of grief and celebrations—what shape would the year take? Would it have many small gentle bends or overlap weaving over itself forming and opening itself to what might come?

Coptic stitch structure with 365 signatures; assorted one-of-a-kind paste papers, 2.5 x 2 x 39 inches, 365 signatures; one of a kind

©Debbi Commodore 2018

Photographs by Ross Mulhausen

Tussie Mussie No. 1--Lasting bond: Joy and friendship

This book was inspired from tussie mussie bouquets and draws from the language of flowers. This bouquet consists of dahlias and yellow roses.

Flowers have been used as a symbolic means of communication for thousands of years and expands across history, country and culture. During the 19th century interest soured in Victorian England and the United States. But what is it that we are trying to say, and why do we use flowers to try to say it? The intricate system of floral symbolism, florigraphy, in which each flower is assigned a specific meaning was inspired by the Turkish custom of sélam. As Mary Wortley Montague, wife of the British ambassador in Constantinople (18th century) said, “There is no flower without a verse belonging to it; and it is possible to quarrel, reproach, or send letters of passion, friendship, or civility, or even of news without even inking your fingers.”

Reproduction of tinted paper cut, 8 x 8 x .5 inches, limited edition

©Debbi Commodore 2018

Photograph by Debbi Commodore

365

What will be revealed in a year? What if the year was shaped like a book that had not been yet been written? And what if this book pushed the traditional book form and could be sculpted with the hills and valleys representing life’s joys and disappointments—mountains and curves of grief and celebrations—what shape would the year take? Would it have many small gentle bends or overlap weaving over itself forming and opening itself to what might come?

Coptic stitch structure with 365 signatures; assorted papers and watch parts.

2.25 x 2.25 x 37 inches, 365 signatures (one of a kind)

©Debbi Commodore 2016

Photograph by Chris Tumbusch.

Rain

The story of a place is told in part by its climate. The climate impacts how people dress, what/how vegetation will grow, how time is spent outside and the structure of homes. Western Washington, in particular the greater Tacoma area, experiences about 155 days of measurable rain per year. And while that may only represent on average 3 days a week it often seems to be a constant. This piece takes a whimsical look at the different types of rain fall in a structure often associated with a traditional children’s toy.

Reproduced tinted-papercuts, Jacob’s Ladder structure

3.25 x 4.5 1.75 (edition of 3)

©Debbi Commodore 2017

Photograph by Ross Malhausen

Visible

Make visible what

without you,

might

perhaps

never

have

been

seen.

~~Robert Bresson

Eight unique paper cuts accompany the quote from Robert Bresson in a unique accordion fold structure.

5 x 5 x 1 inch (12 inch diameter when formed into a circle); 9 pages; one of a kind

Photograph by Chris Tumbusch.

Seductive Promises of Abundance

This piece is inspired by the mark in time each winter—the cold, dark, dormant days when the seed catalogs arrive bringing promise this season will pass and a new one will soon begin filled with hope of abundance. Her dog-eared pages mark a place in time where we dream of what is possible and escape the realities of inexperience, uncertainty, failure and disappointment.

We move between remembering past harvests and dreaming. We make our lists, plans, and schedules; we begin to look forward—she teases us with what will be given, celebrating before there is a bounty. Drawn to her lush images, poetic descriptions, and yield promises we ready ourselves, counting the days, waiting. We become like the seed germinating in the soil. The neatly planted rows become overgrown; the simple seed catalog has given permission to dream and perhaps reflect beyond the harvest.

Materials: seed catalogs

Dragon-fold structure

12 books housed in a 8 x 10 x .75 box; books open to 20 inches (one-of-a-kind)

Neighborhood No. 1

This piece is a part of an on-going series exploring the urban city.

Working within the context of my own neighborhood, with all of our differences, I honored our connection. I am inspired by how this little city neighborhood block of ours with our collection of varying sizes, shapes, colors, styles and beliefs fills such a basic need we all have and adds deep value to the quality of life.

Linocut relief print

Flutter-style accordion structure

4.5 x 4.25 x .75 inches (opens to 12 inches), 3 pages (one-of-a-kind)

Neighborhood No. 3

This piece is a part of a on-going series exploring the urban city.

Working within the context of my own neighborhood, with all of our differences, I honored our connection. I am inspired by how this little city neighborhood block of ours with our collection of varying sizes, shapes, colors, styles and beliefs fills such a basic need we all have and adds deep value to the quality of life.

Linocut relief print

Flag book strucuture

4.5 x 4.5 x .75 inches (opens to 13 inches), 5 pages (one-of-a-kind)

Threads of Hope

The most solid and important things in our lives are ever-changing, either very slowly or quickly. Hope explores the rhythm and pattern of everyday life with the ups and downs of complex uncertainties. Intertwined in the hills and valleys of our journey is anticipation, faith, desire—hope. With its fragility, power and promise hope has the ability to beckon us, moving us further along in our journey.

Accordion flutter book

4.25 x 2.5 x .75 inches (one-of-a-kind)

Paintbox-the place where light dances

Mesmerized by the intensity of color, visiting the hardware paint department gives a dizzing sensory delight. Incredible colors coupled with their seductive names—Autumn Fire, Sonic Plum, Deep sea Diving and Snowy Dusk, to name a few. Paintbox—the place where light dances was inspired by the delight in color and Victoria Finlay’s book Color.

Materials: paint chips

Stiff leaf binding book structure housed in a divided clam shell box

8.5 x 18 x 2 inches; 10 books (one-of-a-kind)

Ordinary Important

I explore shifting something perceived as ordinary and temporary to valued and important. By altering the format from catalog to a book structure housed in a wrapped-in case I want to challenge the common perception of disposable catalog to treasured book of catalog pages.

Materials: catalogs

Edge sewn binding

6.25 x 4.25 x 1.5 inches (one-of-a-kind)

Instruments of Measurement

The variable book edition was designed in celebration of the 5th anniversary of the Puget Sound Book Artist Annual Member Exhibition. Variable copy no. 1 was presented as the PSBA Annual Exhibition award for the Curators’ Award to Gabby Cooksey for "Monsters and Beasts".

The book contains the quote by William Fleming; Arts and Ideas; “To understand the spirit and inner life of a people—the joys, values, and drives that caused it to find life tolerable and meaningful—one must examine its art, literature, philosophy, dances, and music, because these are the instruments by which humankind takes its own measure.”

Materials: assortment of wood veneer panels

Accordion binding

5 x 5 inches; variable edition of 5

Get More

In the winter of 2007 a mailbox filled with a wild collection of catalogs and credit card applications is a demonstration of the easy credit era before the market crashes. In Get More I break apart these bulging packages of the easy credit era in a series of 13 books housed in four boxes. Each boxed grouping of books is created from a different component of the credit card application.

Materials: credit card applications

Various bindings (one-of-a-kind)

Dahlia Inspired

The book, dahlia Inspired, contains 20 unique dahlia inspired flowers using 6 relief cuts. I am captivated by flowers—their geometry, color, names and the emotion and memories they can invoke. In this book each flower in in full bloom, with a showy lack of discretion, and have been selected for their color, size and durability. Dahlia Inspired continues the quest for the perfect flower.

Long-stitch binding with 30 linoleum relief cuts (see Relief Prints)

10 x 11.5 inches (one-of-a-kind)

Circles

Circles began as an expression to mirror the messy realities of life and evolved to an unforeseen experience of movement with the all-familiar, symbolic circle. Holding tight to the tensions between the extensive symbolic meanings of the circle and intertwined with whimsy and inspiration-from-nature Circles winds through the dark corridors of time.

Relief print

Accordion structure

2.25 x 3 inches; edition of 6; 4 books

1948-Fall

1948-Fall uniquely chronicles my grandparent’s lives for three months through their counter checks (bank checks and their bank statement). Counter checks were a commonplace at the stores much the way the credit/debt processing machine is now found at the register.

This book gives pause for reflection to a simpler time without usernames and passwords as the viewer notices the absence of an account number on the check; the checks were processed on recognition of signature alone.

Counter checks with walnut covers

Signatures sewn on tapes

3.5 x 4.75 inches (one-of-a-kind)