Songs of Innocence and Experience
(Artist's Book Project devoted to the works of William Blake)


Curators: Mikhail Pogarsky, Anna Romanova
Concept: William Blake is considered to be the ancestor of the author's artist’s book. More than two centuries ago, he and his wife Catherine founded a publishing house. They printed the book by engraving on copper, and after that colored illustrations by hand. This publishing house of William Blake produced a lot of his own books, in which everything was author: text, images, engraving and printing, coloring. Blake was a first who used the complex artistic statement in the form of books, and made it a powerful tool for creative self-realization.
In this project we propose to create artists books, impregnated with magical themes of William Blake. This can be a direct reference to the texts of the great masters or author’s development of original ideas of Blake. Artists can make the disclosure Blake images or to create your own songs "Innocence and of Experience," in his own way to open the "gates of heaven," or to give a different interpretation of the "marriage of heaven and hell."
The figure of William Blake has long been symbolic. His selfless service to the arts, the incessant artistic and philosophical quest, rebellious revolutionary ideas and hard work - represent the way of great artist. In this project we want to preserve the atmosphere and spirit of creative search of the famous poet and artist. "Genius may reveal themselves only through their work" - William Blake said, and we hope that in this project will be created works of new genius.

Participation: Participation is free, but if artist need his work come back, it is necessary to pay 30 Euros for post office payment. It is possible to donate works to Moscow Artist’s book archive (http://www.pogarsky.ru/cgi-bin/foremanel.pl?mod=pages&id=438) in this case works will participate in different exhibition in Russia and abroad.

Representation: Exhibition in Krasnoyarsk (November, 2011), Exhibition in Central House of Artist (Moscow, 30/11-04/12/2011) at the 7^th Moscow International Artist’s Book fair, Exhibition in the State library of the foreign literature (2012)

Documentation: special catalogue, pages of 7^th Moscow Artist’s Book fair catalogues, pages of sites.

Dead line for works: 15 of October, 2011

Contact: Mikhail Pogarsky, pogarsky@yandex.ru, www.pogarsky.ru