Item Details

Linear A to Linear Z [Design Binding].

New York: Maret, Russell, 2015. Limited Edition. Hardcover. "There is very little text in Linear A to Linear Z, being composed mostly of abstract letterforms, and the binding reflects this simplicity. The entirety of the introduction states "A letterform is a spatial disturbance; an act of interference on an otherwise passive grid." For me, the path was clear: show the passive grid and a letterform disturbing it. The grid is blind tooled but the letterform is in gold, catching the eye and leaving the grid in the background. The letterform is that of the "V" print taken from the book, placed asymmetrically onto the cover so that it transverses the spine." [artist statement]
"Linear A is the oldest known Aegean script, discovered by Sir Arthur Evans while excavating in Crete. Used by the Minoans in the early second millenium BCE, Linear A shares many characters in common with the later Linear B script of the Mycenaeans but, unlike Linear B, Linear A remains undeciphered. As the Mycenaeans succeeded the Minoans as the region's dominant culture, it is logical to search for a link between the two scripts, but attempts to apply character values from Linear B to the same Linear A characters results in gibberish. That a familiar form can have multiple meanings, or be legible in one instance and inaccessible in another, offers an illuminating insight into the struggle of mark making in general, and letter design in particular. It is also a model for the blocks I cut for the book; they are not meant to be immediately recognizable as the A, B, Cs we commonly use, but as forms and shapes that evoke the Roman capital letters. They are meant to be A, B, Cs that can also be something else entirely." Fine in Fine Archival Box. Tight, bright, and unmarred. Black goatskin, hand sewn silk endbands, handmade endpapers, blind tooling, gold tooling. 8vo. Illus. (b/w plates). Limited edition of 90 copies with a handful of additional avialable in sheets and provided to binders, of which, this is one. Item #9166

Price: $2,500.00

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