 Book of Valentines. Book II By Elaine Langerman Washington DC: Elaine Langerman, 2007. One-of-a-Kind. 8 x 6 x 0.25"; 8 panels. Double-sided accordion structure. Mixed media: paint, collage. Materials include acrylic paint, found papers, glitter glue; thread. Exposed binding. Typed explanation of images accompanies book. With paint, collage, and dizzying imagination, Book of Valentines offers a surrealistic romp through a world populated by valentines. Each page, laden with found paper and image, overflows with allusions to art, literature, and pop culture. The resulting blend smacks of earthy archetypes and heavenly laughter. Langerman provides a no-frills page-by-page guide to the source of her images. The first page – "Let us go through this world together" – combines a background of brick-type shapes from Quarterly of Interiors (2000), part of a valentine card found in Greetings with Love, the Book of Valentines (2003), a thank you card received from a friend in 2006, an angel from a coffee ad found on the internet — and even more. And the fun, both serious and light, has just begun. |