The book is very elemental and symbolic. A theme that seems to permeate the stories is an attempt to see order and causality in the created world. I have taken earth-tone shapes and arranged them in a pattern overlaying the blue void. Sewn on four cords laced into boards. Covered in blue goatskin with leather onlays and blind tooling. Edges trimmed, colored dark blue and burnished. Dark brown silk endbands. Tan Fabriano endsheets. 8-1/2 x 5-3/4 x 1 inches. Bound 2005
In designing a binding for this anthology, I tried to get an overall sense of the author's perspective and style of expression. She often subtly marks a grid or framework of time and space before deftly splashing it with images, bright with color. For example, "I could leave tonight, leave this house to find him… I saw a solitary biplane enter the warbling sun. I saw yellow in the sky's far corners…" The sun is a frequent image as is the red spectrum. A poem can be much like a mosaic of nearly balanced elements as I have depicted on the cover of this lovely book of poetry. Sewn over four stranded cords with black Bugra end sheets; laced-in boards. Yellow silk endbands and edges trimmed, colored black and burnished. Covered in maroon goatskin with leather onlays; blind and gold tooling. 9-1/2 x 6-1/2 x 1 inches. Bound 2004.
Scott Kellar currently operates Scott K. Kellar Bookbinding and Conservation, a private studio in Chicago, Illinois, established in 1994, doing bookbinding and book conservation for private and institutional clients. He began his career under Master Binder Joseph Zuffant (1974 to 1976) at Monastery Hill Bindery, Chicago, then furthered his training at the Newberry Library Conservation Bindery (1977 to 1981). He then became established as a private conservator in Chicago before accepting the position of Collections Conservator at Northwestern University Library (1986 to 1993). Scott teaches privately and the Advanced Bookbinding graduate course at the Center for Book & Paper Arts, Columbia College in Chicago. Scott's approaches each of his design bindings from an interpretation of the text or a particular aspect of it. An idea is developed through multiple drawings before final material and technique selections. Website at http://www.scottkkellar.com.