WHERE: Delaware Art Museum. WHEN: Through September 16, 2012.
TITLE: Once Upon a Time in Delaware/In Quest of the Perfect Book
BRIEF ABOUT: This exhibition explores decorative book covers through the eyes of contemporary artist Nina Katchadourian and long-time local collector Mary G. Sawyer.
Katchadourian has explored systems, codes, language, and communication. Sorted Books is an ongoing project, begun in 1993, in which the artist surveys a collection of books, selecting and arranging particular titles so that they can be read in sequence as stories or poems. The book clusters are photographed to shed light on the unique nature of any private or public library.
In 2009, Mary Sawyer donated her rare collection of over 2,000 decoratively bound books to the Museum’s Helen Farr Sloan Library & Archives. This exhibition also provides a portrait of the Sawyer Collection and a look at United States history and culture between 1870 and 1920. At this time, fiction was dominated by romance, science, the automobile, the West, and stories about Native American, rural, and agricultural life. Novels about knights, kings, and adventure were also popular during this period, which included the death of Queen Victoria in 1901 and the great north-western gold rush.
MORE DETAILS: Call 302.571.9590 or toll free 866.232.3714. About: Founded in 1912, the Delaware Art Museum is best known for its large collection of British Pre-Raphaelite art, works by Wilmington-native Howard Pyle and fellow American illustrators, and urban landscapes by John Sloan and his circle. Visitors can also enjoy the outdoor Copeland Sculpture Garden and a number of exhibitions throughout the year.
