[PARENTHESES] AN ARTIST BOOK BY FLEUR WICKES

DETAILS

++ Over 80 pages, full colour, softcover, A4

++ special poster on interior of dustjacket & a bookmark

++ + Hand-numbered & signed by FW

++++ 250 artist books printed in this 2020 print run

++++ beautifully packaged, an ideal gift as a memento of the extraordinary year 2020 has been

FROM DAY 12, 6 APRIL 2020

“Parentheses: the symbols [ ] that are put around a word, phrase or sentence in a piece of writing to show that what is inside them should be considered as separate from the main part.” Cambridge Dictionary

That’s what lockdown is.

A parentheses.

There was a life before, there’ll be a life after.

Right now we’re all just living inside the brackets.

This raw, imperfect and beautiful book, designed printed and produced in NZ, with each copy having marks made by my own hand, is a special memento of the extraordinary year that is 2020.

Between 26 March and 28 April 2020, during the Level 4 Covid lockdown in New Zealand, I made a drawing every single day, wrote some words about the artwork I’d made. I did it to express how lockdown felt to me, to ground myself in that parentheses of a time. I posted it all on social every night, as a way to connect and communicate, and to maybe help a few people feel like things were gonna be okay.

This artist book is the collection of those 34 drawings, along with the associated words . It’s my very personal artist’s response to how it felt to be in lockdown. The highs, the lows, the grief, the boredom, the supermarket shopping, the kissing, the chocolate eating… it’s all in there.

To see the original posts which form the content of the book, go to this Parentheses page.

A BEAUTIFUL REVIEW

Your book is absorbing. During lockdown I looked forward every night to checking out your words of wisdom, reflection, and sense-making along with your drawings. They helped me to reflect, make sense, and cope with the situation. They helped me to absorb what I was going through. Tonight, I sat and enjoyed your book from cover to cover. It absorbed me. It meant as much to me now as it did each day during rahui. And I imagine it is going to be the kind of book I’ll pull out to help me process all sorts of moments throughout my life, to come.

Thank you for allowing yourself to be so vulnerable and sharing your experience with us all, both on social media and now through this lovely artist book. I am so glad to own it.

Ma nga huruhuru ka rere te manu | it is the feathers that enable the bird to fly: I feel like this whakatauki links to this project so much - it is each awesome individual entry that makes this book truly speak and thrive as a whole, and the parenthesis of lockdown will live with all of us as one of those events in our life story that tested us and grew our resilience. Both individually and collectively. You are amazing for capturing that in such a special and unique way.

Thank you, Fleur, and congratulations. Your Parentheses artist book is beautiful. [EP]

DETAILS

++ Over 80 pages, full colour, softcover with dustjacket, A4

++ + Hand-numbered & signed by FW

++++ 250 artist books printed in this 2020 print run

INSCRIPTION

If you would like a special inscription written by FW into the front of your book, go here to the INSCRIPTION page, and order that along with your book. This must be done at the same time as ordering your book.

DELIVERY

The book will be launched on Saturday 14th November and the books will be sent from the studio between 17-19th November. We’d love to be able to get these out to you before the launch, but due to tight timeframes for pr inting, that won’t be possible.

SHIPPING OPTIONS

NZ POST

The book will be posted free of charge within NZ. It will take between 5-9 days to get to you, from when it leaves the studio. For this option, choose “[PARENTHESES] Posted within NZ”.

COURIER

If you’d like your [Parentheses] to be couriered, within New Zealand, choose “Parentheses couriered within NZ” at checkout. This will cost $5. Delivery times will vary, according to where you live, but will be between 1-3 days from when it leaves the studio.

COURIER - RURAL

If you’d like your [Parentheses] to be couriered, within New Zealand, choose “[PARENTHESES] Courier within NZ - RURAL” at checkout. This will cost $10. Delivery times will vary, according to where you live, but will be between 2-6 days from when it leaves the studio.

AUSTRALIA -NZ POST

If you’d like your [Parentheses] to be posted to Austraila choose “[PARENTHESES] POST TO AUSTRALIA” at checkout. Cost $15. Delivery times will vary, according to where you live, and know that post can be slow during these Covid times. x

REST OF THE WORLD -NZ POST

If you’d like your [Parentheses] to be posted to wherever you are in this wide world of ours, choose “[PARENTHESES] POST TO REST OF WORLD” at checkout. Cost $20 .Delivery times will vary, according to where you live, and know that post can be slow during these Covid times. x