Veronika Schäpers

Worm Magic (Wurmzauber)

Veronika Schäpers

Worm Magic (Wurmzauber)

Date

2002

Edition Size

30

Media

Ink, Letterpress

Paper

Kozo Paper, Torinoko paper

Binding

Hand-sewn

Format

Artist Book

Dimensions

5.1 × 13.1 in

Enclosure

Slipcase

$ 12,000.00

Unavailable


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In this book I used the Old Saxon version of the “Wurmzauber”, a magic charm from the ninth century that expels a serious disease (most likely consumption) caused by a worm.

The text is distributed generously on pages that have been painted with black Chinese ink, with guards of red paper breaking up each page. They resemble folds that come about when a book is put up upright for a long time or used too many times. At the same time, these guards make it easier, but strange to flip through the pages. The red lines together with the black ink images appear very graphic, almost technical, and they let us think of a “worm illness” of our days: computer viruses.

The four single quires are stitched to the Ganpi cardboard cover. This cardboard almost works like a hinge, because in the back, it is cut and folded. The box is made of red shiny fabric. The shining of the cover cloth and the mat gum lines repeat the contrast that already occurs in the lettering and ink images. — Veronika Schäpers

Torinoko paper cut and mounted on red kozo paper, dyed with black Shoen ink. Printed in black by zinc-clichés. Torinoko cardboard cover, held together by red Kozo paper joints and dyed with black shoen ink. The pages are stitched to the cover. Slipcase covered with red polyester cotton fabric. Black gum label and thin gum stripes are glued on the slipcase. 13 x 33.5 cm., signed by the artist in an edition of 25 Arabic and 5 Roman numbered copies. 2002.