Ballot Box.
[Seattle:]: The Windowpane Press, 2014. No limitation given, probably one of about a hundred copies. Designed and produced in a class taught by Bonnie Thompson Norman in collaboration with Dawn Hobson, Margaret Johnson, Ben Melhuish, and Caroline Williams. Each of the six panels forming the cube is printed on both sides with quotes about democracy and facts about voting rights. A fine copy. Printed in black and red on white paper panels, which are mounted on black board. Hand-drawn accents in red. 5 x 5 x 5 in. cube, folds down to 5 x 5 x in. Item #17378
This artist’s book transforms into a three-dimensional “ballot box” printed with text that aims to inform readers about voting rights and how to vote, along with quotes about democracy. Ballot Box is one of Bonnie Thompson Norman’s many books that blend activism with artistry. Books like Which Side Are You On? (2019), A Primer for Democracy (2004), and Fourteen Ninety-Two or Three (1993) all address concepts of activism, equality, and social justice.
Norman has been the proprietor of the Windowpane Press since 1978. Before moving to her current home of Seattle, Norman lived and printed in Southern California for over two decades. She began her career at Jake Zeitlin’s Red Barn in Los Angeles working in the Prints & Drawings Department, worked for
Patrick Reagh, and maintained a longtime friendship with Saul Marks, who inspired her own printing. She was Studio Director at the Woman’s Building in Los Angeles after Susan King, one of the founders of the Book Arts program. In Seattle, Norman is a past co-chair of the Northwest Chapter of the Guild of Book Workers, as well as a member of Book Arts Guild, Puget Sound Book Artists, and The Book Club of Washington. Recent productions of The Windowpane Press include The Second Coming (Again) (Aubergine Atelier and the Windowpane Press, 2019) which features the text of “The Second Coming” by Yeats paired with original paintings by Jodee Fenton; and Which Side Are You On? (2019), which focuses on the political turmoil that surrounds the United States/Mexico border wall. Aside from producing artist’s books, Norman also teaches workshops in letterpress printing and book arts at the Windowpane Press.
Price: $150.00