Seven Hills press

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Seven Hills Press ~ Wisconsin (Brian Borchardt)	Share this page:

Brian Borchardt: " I am drawn to texture and tactile surfaces and that attraction is represented in the work I create. My artwork combines my passion for books, reading, printing and strong imagery. The physical nature of books is innately ingrained in my desire to create pieces that are palpable, intriguing and accessible."

Gender related books

Types of Beauty By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2013. Edition of 50. 9.5 x 6.5"; 48 pages. Papers are a combination of Hahnemühle watercolor paper (which has been gelatin-sized and pigmented), handmade papers crafted at Caren Heft's Root River Mill, and 16th-century French Bible pages found at a Paris flea Market in January 2013. Paper-covered wraps with handsewn binding. Cloth-covered slipcase with ribbon pull. Numbered. Brian Borchardt, colophon: "The inspiration for this book came on a trip in August 2012 when I stumbled upon a very unique typeface book in the lounge of the Hotel Rex in San Francisco. I realized then that my partner, Jeff Morin (sailorBOYpress), has a truly remarkable collection of wood and metal types (and I feel so privileged to be able to access this type for my own work). Jeff has been actively collecting type since 1989 and this book represents only a small portion of his working collection." $375	Click image for more


Essay By Jesse Albrecht Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2012. Edition of 48. 6.25 x 9.25"; 30 pages. Printed letterpress in Goudy Bold and Goudy Handtooled on handmade paper. Handmade paper of cotton and abaca from Caren Heft's Root River Mill. Handsewn binding with paper wrap closure. A sobering look at the secreted effects of war, the rift that keeps on giving. Essay, excerpt: "This weekend I spent chain-smoking cigarettes and drinking, talking with a friend I served with in Iraq – he just returned from Afghanistan. The point kept resurfacing of feeling great worth in a worthless endeavor, and then feeling worthless upon returning home after a deployment. When I returned from Iraq I felt like an alien here, Iraq was my home, I had a purpose there, and all the continually fucked-up situations felt normal. Here the violence, aggression, and fear which made me successful in Iraq continue to cause struggle and pain." About the author: "Jesse Albrecht entered the military in 1996 with C BTRY 1-120th Field Artillery in Stevens Point, Wisconsin. He re-classed as a combat medic in the A Co 109th Area Support Medical Battalion. Albrecht was deployed to Iraq halfway through graduate school and was attached to the 101st Airborne (Air Assault) Division in Mosul, Iraq. Honorably discharged in 2006, Albrecht lives outside of Bozeman, Montana, and teaches at Montana State University." Theory Magazine, Interview with Jesse Albrecht: "With distance and time, things change. Initially, it’s so fresh, and you’re so invested in it that it’s hard to have any original perspective on it. Then the more you read about current events and the more you talk to friends that have returned from multiple tours, you get a different perspective. It’s still relevant to talk about, because it’s less and less in the news now. To me, it’s funny, and sad that it took five or six years for people to start realizing things weren’t right with the war. The V.A. was critically understaffed for mental health, totally unprepared for us coming back. To be part of the first rotation coming back from Iraq and living the problem out. To me, it’s still important to talk about it and to give information about it. I think it is important to be able to talk to somebody who has experienced it personally. Just like with anything, it’s good to read about it, but it’s also good to talk to people that have been there. The idea that you have about something is going to be informed more and probably change with each additional person that you talk to. "Coming back from that experience is really hard. I have a lot of good family and friends, but I can see where if I didn’t have them, and still have them, supporting me, who knows? You can get out there pretty quick, and if you don’t have a friend with a futon to crash on when you can’t find a job and don’t have a place to live, it can go bad quick. There are a lot of people who support veterans, for sure, but there are also just as many, if not more, who are afraid of us. They would rather not learn about the experience of a veteran, or just choose to ignore it. Part of my goal is to reach those people and allow them to understand the situation veterans face coming home. It’s a calculated decision to have it not talked about in the media, because if people don’t know about the problems associated with the wars, then it’s easier for them to keep the wars going. " $375 (Last 2 copies)	Click image for more Click here for the link to Instagram


Crossing the Tigris By Caren Heft, Jeffrey Morin & Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Arcadian Press / sailorBOYpress / Seven Hills Press, 2011. Edition of 60. 6.75 x 10.5 x 2" box containing three books each with 36 pages. Letterpress printed. Type: Plantin. Collage and inclusion elements. Handmade paper. Handsewn binding. Four sided drop letterfold container with twine tie closure. Jeff Morin: "A narrative in three books recounting soldier's stories from the Iraq War. This is a collaborative project between Jeffrey Morin, Caren Heft, and Brian Borchardt. The collaborators each found stories in the media that recount horrific situations that are inconceivable to those who work regularly with current or former soldiers who happen to be students or artists." Statement by the presses: "The container for this collaboration is meant to embody the conundrum of this person who transforms into a beast capable of horrendous acts against innocents. The outside of the container is collaged in the same way that a boy might decorate his hiding place for treasures found. The elements, like currency, targets, or stamps, are in the realm of childhood values. The inside of the container sets the stage for juvenile battle. These are the props for pretend war. When confronted with the grittiness of war, do these ill-prepared young men simply break with reality? Are they taught that they are above the law? Or do they learn to devalue what is not obviously American? Neither the container nor the three books answer the questions posed above. We all know young soldiers who have served or those who could serve. This collaboration is intended to catalyze a conversation about the nature of change that allows potentially decent people to commit indecent acts." $2,100	Click image for more


bold strokes By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2009. Edition of 45. 7 x 8.75"; 32 pages. Letterpress printed on dictionary pages and banana leaf papers. Pamphlet bound. Inserted into a handmade open-top envelope-style wrapper. Colophon: "Papers in this book are random selections from a 1956 edition of Webster's dictionary and banana leaf papers from the local Asian grocery store. Printed in the basement from the waning days of 2008 into the cold snowy promise of 2009." Brian Borchardt: "I've always been interested in words and language and all things connected. I also wanted to do something a little more fun for my last book; and it was a fun process! Finding the old dictionary pages inspired me to do something connected with language and punctuation came to mind since it's 'non' language but still integral to the written and spoken word. "I used the banana paper for visual and structural interest; also, on some level, it serves as its own punctuation as it slows the reader down" $185	Click image for more


Word Play By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2005. Edition of 32. 10 x 5.5". papers are a mixture of Indian Village handmade watercolor paper, papers made by the printer of raffia and cotton rag, and pages from an 1825 letterpress-printed book. The Indian Village cover stock has been gelatin-sized and pigmented. Body type is Cheltenham. larger fonts are culled from the Lydian and 20th Century families. Word Play is a look at words illustrated by random phrases and random images, some containing type and letterforms. The reader should not spend a great deal of time trying to establish a relationship between the words and the images, although that relationship does exist - albeit loosely - in the imagination of the printer. Sewn binding. Laid in paper fold wrapper with raffia tie. This is the fourth book from Seven Hills Press. A delightful play on word. $295	Click image for more



Borchardt is interested in gender roles in society. These book works deal with male relationships in a Mexican town, as related in a Biblical story, and one about two saints.

The Intrepid Ones By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2007. Edition of 50. 5.5 x 9"; 26 pages. Colorful cotton and abaca text pages from Caren Heft's Root River Mill. Fabriano Uno covers. Letterpress printed. From the text: "In the village of Juchitan, Mexico, gay men … are regarded as neither men nor women; they are know as muxe, and are considered a major element of society. They are a third gender, combining the best parts of both the male and female, equipped with special intellectual and artistic gifts." The Intrepid Ones provides a glimpse of Juchitan and its tripartite society. Set in a colorful array of handmade papers that have been collaged, perforated, and punctuated by unattributed photographic transfers (?), the production suggests that this is more than a local history. $250	Click image for more


Beyond the Great Stone By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2006. Edition of 40. 7 x 7.5" 26 pages. This book was printed letterpress on a Vandercook SP15 test press. All text (primary Cochin Light, secondary Futura Extra Bold Italic) handset on Hahnemüle watercolor stock, gelatin sized and pigmented by the printer, and Fabriano Roma. Artist’s interpretation of the relationship between Jonathan and David set forth in 1 Samuel. Brian Borchardt: "As one of the greatest love stories in the Bible, the story of Jonathan and David continues to be overlooked by most Biblical scholars and students not because of its obscurity, but simply because they don't want to see it. They don't want to see the warm, romantic aspects of the relationship between these two men who clearly loved each other. To acknowledge the obvious facts of this relationship would force theologians and church leaders to either condemn the Bible's greatest hero — David, the mighty youth who slew Goliath — or to accept the probability that homosexuality is not any more a sin, in and of itself, than is heterosexuality in the eyes of the Lord." $350 (a few copies remaining)	Click image for more



Seven Hills Press SOLD / Out of Print Titles:

Two Saints: The Martyrdom of St. Sergius & St. Bacchus By Brian Borchardt Stevens Point, Wisconsin: Seven Hills Press, 2004. Edition of 35. 6 x 9” with 24 pages. The paper is a conglomeration of cotton, abaca, and iris leaves from the garden. The cover stock has been dyed with black walnut stain provided by Lisa Beth Robinson. The typeface is primarily Garamond. Signed and press numbered. This is the second offering from Brian Borchardt's Seven Hills Press. The text is an account of the lives of these two fourth century saints and their relevance to today’s same-sex unions. (SOLD/Out of print)	Click image for more

Page last update: 08.04.2022