[Artist's Books] Don Glaister, Complete Instructions

Glaister, Donald | Walt Whitman. Complete Instructions: Excerpted from the Preface of Leaves of Grass, 1855 Edition. Tucson, AZ: Foolsgold Studio, 2022. Folio. Limited, signed edition, this is number 16 of 16 copies of the regular edition (per the artist: the colophon inaccurately notes that this is a limitation of 15 regular copies). There were 2 additional copies: one a prototype; another reserved by the artist for fine binding. Backed in black goatskin with cherry wood veneer and painted paper onlays over boards. The book comprises 15 cherry veneer leaves with 8 printed paper leaves including title page and colophon. The composition is a sequential alternation between a printed leaf followed by a page spread collage made up of paper, metals, mylar, and acrylic paint. Each collage visually relates to the preceding printed leaf. Fine in clamshell.

Glaister's artist's books are always an engaging interplay between the chosen texts and his visual response to those texts. Arguably, none have been more relevant than Complete Instructions, "inspired by pandemic years full of incomplete instruction" (colophon). In his artist's statement Glaister writes: "Complete Instructions is conceived, edited and produced as a response to social and political American life in the early 21st century, with guidance by Walt Whitman from the middle of the 19th century. The visual concepts, materials and techniques developed and employed in the edition are primarily of our time, while acknowledging the time, vision, genius and humanity of Whitman." In a time when it seems everyone has taken instruction from their own books, Whitman, in his way, offers sage words to all as to how best to be an individual among many—it's not surprising that compassion, respect, humility, and love are the undercurrents of his "Instructions." His text is strikingly accompanied by Glaister's inimitable visual style.