Daniel Olson
Notes on the Book

1 unbound volume; 16 pages, 8.5×15 inch. 2006.
$100
Letterpress printed on Fabriano Ingres, edition of 30

From the artist:
Like many of my book projects, Notes on the Book is a transcription of found text. In this case, the source is Henry Petroski’s The Book on the Bookshelf, specifically the reference notes, which are keyed to quotations and phrases in the text. Generally referencing only the first or most prominent occurrence from any given source, the citations in bold text suggested a kind of readymade poetry. The poems in Notes on the Book were composed by transcribing Petroski’s reference notes line by line, taking a few liberties with punctuation and capitalization, and assigning Petroski’s chapter titles to the resultant twelve poems. As simple as they might appear to be as objects of construction and conveyors of meaning, the poems, though modest in ambition and constrained by the method of composition, nevertheless manage to be, I believe, curious, mysterious, and fascinating.

About the artist:
Daniel Olson (b. 1955) completed degrees in mathematics and architecture before obtaining a Bachelor of Fine Arts (1986) from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design (Halifax) and a Master of Fine Arts (1995) from York University (Toronto). His work – which includes sculpture, installation, multiples, photography, performance, audio, video and artist’s books – has been exhibited widely since 1986. Olson has been living and working in Montreal since 2001. He is represented by the Birch Libralato gallery in Toronto; many of his books and multiples are also available through Art Metropole.

Download preview of book here.

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