Valerie Carrigan ~ Massachusetts
(Messenger Press)

Cup of Gold
By Valerie Carrigan
North Adams, Massachusetts: Messenger Press.
Edition of 40 (Deluxe 1–6; Standard 7-40)

8 7/8” x 5 3/4”. Poem and pochoir-printed images all on Crane’s Lettra. Text is set in Kabel and letterpress printed from wood type and polymer plates. All prints are housed in a folio made from Saint Armand paper and attached using non-adhesive methods.

Deluxe: numbered 1-5, includes an original landscape monotype on Rives BFK and is housed in a four-flap enclosure made from Colorplan paper.

Standard: numbered 6-40, the monotype is reproduced as an archival pigmented print on Red River Aurora Art White paper.

Valerie Carrigan: “With horses neighing nearby, I crouched down to study the California Poppies, sketching them as light hit their petals. I thought of the people who lived on this land before me - Costanoan, Coast Miwok, Luiseno, Cahuilla, Pomo. It is in looking back that we often learn the best way forward.

“’Cup of Gold’ references the indigenous people of Northern California who relied on the poppy for its healing properties, juxtaposed with the Spanish settlers who viewed land as for the taking.

“This book was created in a horse barn (turned print studio) at In Cahoots Residency in Petaluma, California and in the artist’s studio in North Adams, Massachusetts.”
$125 Standard
$300 Deluxe (Last 2 copies)

The Walk
By Valerie Carrigan
North Adams, Massachusetts: Messenger Press, 2016. Edition of 25.

8 x 7" closed with accordion binding. Original monotypes reproduced as offset lithographs. Text set in Garamond Roman and letterpress printed. Excerpts from the private journal of Henri Frédéric Amiel (1821-1881) set in Adobe Garamond Pro. Printed on Rives BFK paper. Housed in cloth-covered tri fold with matching slipcase. Signed and numbered by the artist.

Valerie Carrigan: "My daughter and I began walking to school last year. We stopped to observe many things, but it was the milkweed that most captured our attention. With each new day we watched the plant change color and texture, my daughter eagerly waiting for the pods to open. This experience taught us about patience, mystery, and for me, learning to embrace the darkness – the place where ideas are conceived and grow, much like the seeds in the pod.

"The Walk is a sculptural artist book that encourages us to pause and reflect. Close-up images of the milkweed pod are coupled with two narratives – one my own, and the other a diary excerpt of 19th century Swiss philosopher Henri Frédéric Amiel."
$550