The Magic Square (1995)
The Magic Square (1995)
Leporello of 22 panels with embossed single-sheet cover, 16 embossed images on Moulin du Gue 270 gsm. 180 x 180 mm. Edition of 12, of which this is #9 and signed. Acquired from the artist, 17 June 2020. Photos: Books On Books Collection.
With The Magic Square, Carraro pays homage to Durer’s Melencolia I and its magic square embedded in the wall in the etching’s upper right corner. The magic square is one in which the value across any set of vertical, horizontal or diagonal cells is always the same. From the cover’s embossed magic square, Carraro has taken each of the 16 subdivisions and given it its own panel in the completely white leporello.
The Impermanent in the Permanent (1996)
The Impermanent in the Permanent (1996)
Slotted box envelope: Pergamenata 230 gsm. H205 x W215 mm. Book: Seven-hole Japanese stab binding with cotton thread; 36 pages; 16 images silk-screen printed with water based inks (cyan, yellow and magenta only) on 250 gsm Somerset paper, cut and folded, following the Fibonacci sequence or Golden Mean (1.618 ratio). H200 x W215 mm. Edition of 9, of which this is #9 and signed. Acquired from the artist, 17 June 2020. Photos: Books On Books Collection.
While there are many instances of discovering the Fibonacci sequence in nature and works of art (see below), here is an instance of generating art deliberately with the Fibonacci sequence. Using the primary colors, cut-outs, folds and rotation, Carraro creates The Impermanent in the Permanent. Peering through the cut-outs and down into the pages and slowly rotating the book, the reader/viewer can experience the Fibonacci Spiral.
Carraro’s two works in this collection echo others such as Susan Happersett’s Conch, Helen Malone’s Ten Books of Architecture and Ioana Stoian’s Nous Sommes.
Further Reading
Allen, Shelley. “Fibonacci in Art and Architecture”, Fibonacci.com. Accessed 23 June 2020.
Meisner, Gary B. “Design/Art”, Phi: The Golden Number. Accessed 23 June 2020.
Reich, Dan. “The Fibonacci Sequence, Spirals and the Golden Mean”, Dan Reich’s Home Page, Temple University. Accessed 23 June 2020.
Books On Books 