Category Archives: Art

Back to Back

Posted on April 17, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The antiquarian book above is actually two volumes in one. This rare style of binding is usually referred to as dos-a-dos, from the French “back to back”. As the term suggests, these books share the same back cover. Books bound in … Continue reading →

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Maps Telling Stories

Posted on April 12, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

I have always believed that every map tells a story. When it come to exploring a geographic narrative, there are no better vehicles than 20th century illustrated maps. In the second of our series of guest posts from Dutch author … Continue reading →

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Hammer & Pickle

Posted on April 9, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The legendary New York street artist Robbie Conal recently visited Philadelphia and left us some crazy anti-trump wheatpaste artwork. Hammer & Pickle is a clever update on his 2015 series called Bullu Culprit/Can’t Even.

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Automat Art

Posted on April 6, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Instead of cigarettes, these old mechanical vending machines in the Netherlands now dispense one of a kind, handmade artworks. Each Pakje Kunst. or pack of art, costs just €4 and supports local artists and art programs. The two year old project, which was … Continue reading →

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April Is The Cruelest Month

Posted on April 2, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel

Posted on March 26, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

The Drolatic Dreams of Pantagruel (Les songes drolatiques de Panatgruel) is a bizarre, Brueghel-esque volume of humorous and grotesque woodcuts published in Paris in 1565. Based on the satirical Life of Gargantua and of Pantagruel by François Rabelais, the book … Continue reading →

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Power To The People

Posted on March 25, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Yesterday I had the privilege of participating in the March for Our Lives organized by young people in the U.S. to protest the plague of gun violence in our schools and communities. It was inspiring and heartening to see these young women … Continue reading →

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Paper Matters

Posted on March 24, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

Many years ago, I tried my hand at paper making. I think that I still have files of homemade paper stashed away somewhere. I wasn’t very good at papermaking, but I developed a real appreciation for the skill involved in … Continue reading →

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When The Spring Came

Posted on March 22, 2018 by Brian D. Butler
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Banksy Hits Brooklyn and the Bowery

Posted on March 20, 2018 by Brian D. Butler

It seems that Banksy is not done with NYC yet. This weekend more works attributed to the notorious British street artist appeared in Manhattan and in the Borough of Brooklyn. “Free Zehra Dogan” surfaced on the famous Bowery art wall … Continue reading →

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