Florae

Florae: Inquiries into imperceptible and observable landscapes is Karin Lanzoni's second artist's book comprised of pen and ink drawings with collaged paint swatches. These painterly swatches are cutouts that come directly from the dried palettes leftover from her painting practice. They are combined into drawings that create a series of views of the visible and microscopic world, both real and imagined. This book is comprised of only images. Ruminating on the notion of landscape...
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Florae: Inquiries into imperceptible and observable landscapes is Karin Lanzoni's second artist's book comprised of pen and ink drawings with collaged paint swatches. These painterly swatches are cutouts that come directly from the dried palettes leftover from her painting practice. They are combined into drawings that create a series of views of the visible and microscopic world, both real and imagined. This book is comprised of only images. Ruminating on the notion of landscape painting, Lanzoni's drawings are wide-ranging and inspired from a variety of sources. Camping and traveling in California's beautiful parks, she experienced chaparral forests, desert panoramas, and verdant woods while simultaneously reading the lush observations of environmental philosopher, John Muir. Conversely, she also researched underwater florae and was drawn to the detailed work of botanist Anna Atkins and her early cyanotypes of ethereal sea algae. Her parents, both scientists and doctors, ignited a formal interest in the natural world and how scientific inquiry reveals microscopic, invisible florae found in and all around us. Lastly, having grown up in Massachusetts, Lanzoni visited Walden Pond many times and avidly read the writings of Henry David Thoreau. His texts describe intense wonder and philosophical insights as he lived in the woods by Walden. Likewise, Lanzoni explores the notion that by contemplating these complex (and now at risk) florae one can perhaps visualize our entwined, symbiotic connection to the natural world and rethink the idea of landscape (both visible and microscopic). It presents readers with an exploration of Florae that ventures beyond the cultural and scientific contributions we are accustomed to, inviting us into a less rational, yet gently questioning inquiry into perception itself. An edition of 150 signed copies.12 x 9 inches with 80 Pages + Cover w/ Tip-on;Text: 80lb Superfine Eggshell iToneUltra White Cover, 4/4 Process Digital;Covers: Brillianta Cloth #4250White over .098 Chipboard, 8x10" Matte Black FoilFront & Spine, De-boss for Tip-on,Silkbead Ultramarine Head & Tail Bands;End Sheets: 80lb Rainbow Ultramarine, Blank;Tip-on: 100lb Superfine Eggshell Text, Ultrawhite,4/0 Process, Die Cut & Tip-on to Cover;Smyth Sew, Case Bind.