The Sara Parkel and Filter Press artists’ book and print collection documents over 20 years of Parkel’s creative work as a book artist, publisher, printmaker, bookbinder, and educator. The archive is comprised of 11 cubic feet of artists’ books, prints, collaborative projects along with supporting documents, and production material.

The core of the archive houses handmade artists’ books and prints published by Sara Parkel via her imprint, Filter Press. Documented materials include limited edition publications, one-of-a-kind works, sculptural book objects, fine art prints, broadsides, and collaborative book art/print projects. Unless noted, all Filter Press publications are designed, printed, and bound by the artist. Production materials in the collection comprehensively document the entire book and printmaking production and editioning process for most of the artwork (including design drawings, layouts, mock-ups, notes, press make-ready, plates, print proofs, sketches, templates, and exhibition display and press clip materials), revealing the artist’s creative process from start to finish. Aside from books and prints, the archive includes a collection of the artist’s personal sketchbooks, drawings, handmade paper, collage work, correspondence, exhibition ephemera, and studio related documentation. The archive also documents over a decade of the artist’s freelance work in printing, custom binding, and book repair in NYC (including print and binding samples, photos, business-related paperwork, estimates, and proposals).

About the artist’s books/prints:
This collection houses over 60 artists’ books, (limited edition and unique book objects), and over 275 handmade prints documenting Parkel’s unique style, integrating structure, materials, and content through various techniques and mediums. As a bookbinder and printmaker, Parkel’s artists’ books showcase a variety of formats and binding structures (including scroll, pamphlet, accordion, codex, and variations). The archive contains a spectrum of print mediums and techniques (including variations on letterpress, intaglio, relief printing, lithography, silkscreen, collagraphy, and mono printing). The work also documents Parkel’s numerous collaborations with writers, poets, and artists.

Enclosures: 10 total, 4 Bankers boxes, 4 Plastic Bins, 1 Crate, 1 Large Flat Portfolio, approximately 11 cubic feet
Total Item Count: 2,760+
Media: 60 artists’ books and fine press books, 275 broadsides and prints in various media, 10 sketchbooks and over 2,000 pieces of production material, event and exhibition ephemera, job work, and personal and professional correspondence and records.

Please contact [email protected] for more information.