In this video artist lisa kokin tells the story of how she made a large commissioned piece using a variety of books from the local recycling center. Lisa kokin creates her art with recycled and reclaimed materials she has found. Through her process of artmaking, lisa is able to explore cultural and personal issues of conformity and gender, the ambiguities of society and the. In how to stop worrying and start living from 2010, kokin sewed different selfhelp book spines into floral shapes with each petal bearing. It represents a large part of the work i have completed since 1990. I work mainly with found materials such as old books and ephemera, and more. Artists not classified as american in our database may have limited biographical data compared to the extensive information about american artists. Using repurposed thrift items, lisa kokin creates sculptures that develop connections between their material origins and new formulations.
The art of the book lisa kokin seager gray gallery. Book spine parts, thread, found text and images, x x 1 inches, 1999 click through the website is pretty amazing. Exhibition based, the gallery hosts shows of national and international artwork and exhibits incredible jewelry creations from around the world. Love always, juanita mixed media book collage, x x 1 inches, 2008 lisa kokin the art room plant. Lisa kokin collage illustration, art, collage book. Artslant profile for contemporary artist lisa kokin. I am blissfully unaware of all the rules i am breaking as i go about my routine of sewing, stapling, riveting and otherwise reassembling objects to transform them into something. Lisa kokin alters books, text and memory by a complex system of destruction and preservation.
Her parents were upholsterers, and she uses the techniques of sewing and book arts to create detailed, thoughtful work that. She used photographs as objects to create new ways of considering the photographic image and the results are layered, whimsical, artful, and unique. See more ideas about artist books, book art, art journal. Kokin explores irony and memory in her seemingly ephemeral pieces, allowing transiency itself to be immortalized in lasting works of art. Lisa kokin is a visual artist and her work in mixed media installation, altered books, fiber, thread, found photos and sculpture has been exhibited extensively in the u. I am a young irish artist and aspiring storyteller. Lisa kokin uses a variety of recycled and found materials to make book art. The recipient of numerous awards and grants, kokin was most recently given the purchase award from the richmond civic center public art interior acquisitions project in richmond, ca.
Lisa kokin mineola, new york lisa kokin work evolves with recycled and reclaimed materials, where she found it at flea markets, thrift shops, and recycling centers. On a trip to amsterdam in the fall of 2006, i went out for an early morning walk and stumbled upon a large number of book fragments which a man was putting on the curb for recycling. Lisa kokin uses the page spreads of old books as the ground for collages which are humorous and filled with social commentary. Sometimes i remove some of the pages and glue andor sew the book open to the particular page of. Lisa kokin moment buttons and mixed media, imitation sinew, 66 x lisa kokin, moment mixed media buttonwork, 66 x 36 x 1 inches, 2004 holy cow. The themes of lisa kokins work do not match up with the subject matter of our group work. Creating biographies or improving upon them is a work in progress, and we welcome information from our knowledgeable viewers. Find the latest shows, biography, and artworks for sale by lisa kokin. Lisa kokin alters and transforms the form and content of books with a minimal addition of other materials. See more ideas about paper art, book art and textile art. Lisa kokin rush philanthropic arts foundation rush. Lisa kokin is a multimedia artist working in sculpture, mixed media installation, artists books and with found objects found photos collected from flea markets and thrift stores are sewn into sculpture and wall pieces in lisa kokin s meditations on identity and anonymity. Artist lisa kokin takes what may seem like old buttons and makes fascinating, complex pieces of art.
Lisa kokin chapter and verse 2018 available for sale. Love always, juanita mixed media book collage, x x 1 inches, 2008 lisa kokin. In the past she has worked with buttons, photographs, and other found objects, but now she works mostly with books, the contents of which she shreds, blends, pulps, glues. Tayloe piggott gallery defines its artistic program through the work of modern and contemporary artists and worldclass jewelry designers. Lisa kokin creates her art with recycled and reclaimed materials she has found at flea markets, thrift stores, and recycling centers.
There is as much meaning in what has been taken away as in what remains. Lisa kokin ii freunde these artists like lisa kokin are so creative memoriesstitching into photographsbook art. Little people sitting illogical subordination by lisa kokin book collage with sculptural protrusions. Artist lisa kokin stitches together found photographs in works such as specimens detail, this series by kokin could inspire interesting family history displays. Illogical subordination is a book collage that adorns a wall at castro valley library. It was created by talented sculptor and artist lisa kokin.
In my neverending quest to find different ways to eviscerate books, i stumbled upon the book collage. Abridged a mixed media artist book by lisa kokin at seager gray gallery in mill valley california pulped dictionary. She is a conceptual artist to be sure, but few conceptual artists break as many boundaries in working with their materials. The artist teaches a variety of classes and is a mentor to other. She loves working with buttons, books, and photographs or objects she found, then she would use a variety of methods to assemble them, such as shreds, blends or glues them. There were book covers from pulp novels and boxes of sliced book sections wrapped together with tape and in some cases numbered. Her work is about memory and history, both personal and collective. Welcome this website strives to be accurate and complete. Lisa kokin, artist seamen, mixed media sewn found photo sculpture, x 5 x 16 inches, 2001 found photos collected from flea markets and thrift stores are sewn into sculpture and wall pieces in lisa kokins meditations on identity and anonymity. I love how she sews the photos together like a web. Lisa kokin received her bfa and mfa from the california college of the arts in oakland, ca. Thoughtfully intertwining the worlds of jewelry and fine art, tayloe piggott gallery brings a fresh perspective.
In the past she has worked with buttons, photographs, and other found objects, but now she works mostly with books, the contents of which she shreds, blends, pulps, glues, and otherwise modifies before presenting them to her viewers in various states of. Amazing button art by artist lisa kokin san francisco. Lisa kokin is a nationally known mixed media artist who offers oneonone mentorships in her studio and via skype, critique. The website is currently running in a viewonly mode to allow archiving of the content. Lisa kokin book art made from recycled and found materials. An altered book is a form of mixed media artwork that changes a book from its original form into a different form, altering its appearance andor meaning an altered book artist takes a book old, new, recycled or multiple and cuts, tears, glues, burns, folds, paints, adds to, collages, rebinds, goldleafs, creates popups, rubberstamps, drills, bolts, andor beribbons it. Digital collage, collage art, collages, a level textiles, postcard art, creepy. Lisa kokin origin of the family 2001 available for. Participate in developing a biography for lisa kokin. Nature library lisa kokin makes art from upcycled books. Altered book art altered texts artist books lisa kokin. Lisa kokins work in artist s books, mixed media installation, assemblage and sculpture is about memory, history, and social commentary. First i find a book which interests me, either for some element of text, image or marginalia, or for the look of the book itself. In recent work, kokins preferred medium has been used selfhelp and psychology books, which she disassembles by shredding them into a pulp, cutting them up, or removing spines and covers for collages.
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