Ammonite (2015)

Ammonite (2015)
Daniel Essig, Graeme Priddle, and Melissa Engler
Ethiopian and Coptic bound book, sewn with waxed black linen thread, walnut-dyed handmade flax and Ingres Antique black papers, with carved front and back covers of maple, each with a bisected ammonite fossil embedded beneath a mica sheet, fixed with 1/8 brass brads. H127 x W90 x D63 mm. [384] pages. Unique. Acquired from the artists, 30 May 2025.
Photos: Books On Books Collection.

Even a cursory glance through the Books On Books Collection confirms the variety of choices book artists face when creating an artist’s book. In Ammonite (2015), the book block and its binding are the site and material of Daniel Essig, Graeme Priddle, and Melissa Engler’s sculptural art. In their collaboration, Essig drilled and prepped the wooden covers, Priddle carved the ammonite surface, Engler painted the covers, and then Essig added the mica window with ammonite fossil, prepped the book block, and bound the book.

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