Facing West from California's Shores... / Mark McMurray

Identifier:FA.FFS24.2306

Dimensions:9 x 11 in

Creation dates:2010

Subjects: broadsides, letterpress printing, volvelles

Description:Broadside letterpress printed on ARches paper and handmade volvelle by Papeterie St. Armand, Montreal. "I've always been fascinated by volvelles, those movable paper discs found in European books after their introduction from the Arab world during the Renaissance. While originally a kind of manual paper computer for astronomical and mathematical calculations they are also just plain fun. "When first introduced to Walt Whitman's poetry in high school I was immediately attracted to his time-out-of-time and space-out-of-space conceits. In 'Facing West from California's Shores' the poet muses on the whole world -- the revolving globe -- and our journey around it. Employing a 'poetry volvelle' seemed to be one way to present the poem." -- artist's statement