Smoke by Plimpton, Sarah - 2011

[New York, 2011. Artist's book, one of 10 copies only, all on Somerset paper, each signed and numbered by author / artist, Sarah Plimpton. Page size: 11-3/4 x 15-5/8 inches; 10pp. including titlepage and colophon. Bound: loose as issued in grey cloth over card stock envelope printed with author and title in dark grey on front panel. The ten pages, which are all original woodcuts, as well as the text printed letterpress in grey ink in Caslon, were accomplished by Sarah Plimpton with the assistance of Brad Ewing at The Grenfell Press.
This is a "jigsaw" book; i.e. there are ten "jigsaw" woodcuts printed in pale, ephemeral colors - shades of yellow, grey, sea foam, lavender paper - on white paper. The carved block is cut by a jigsaw and then reassembled on the letterpress bed and printed. The lines seen are the result of the cuts made by the jigsaw. The text reads, "the sky has no top/ in the blue and whit / who would know / standing outside / taking the time / drifting up / smoke from a fire / is lost from sight." Using this challenging method of woodcut printmaking, she has succeeded in creating the concept of incremental change with images to match her words. Her images are "will-o'-the-wisp" - amorphous shapes with the most delicate of boundaries, a thin, white line. An exploration of infinity and the ephemeral by this talented poet / print-maker.