Rower, Holton

Scrap

New York: JMc & GHB editions, 2010. 4to.; thread bound; unpaginated (65 pp.); letterpress; 48 full color plates; wrappers.

JMc & GHB Editions is pleased to announce its latest publication Scrap, by the artist Holton Rower. The pristine white cover of Scrap belies the kaleidoscopic, seductive nature of Rower’s sculptures shown within. Here, plywood detritus are stacked into tower-like bases and thickly layered with acrylic paint that cascades over the edges, a molton flow of mouthwatering color that recalls childhood appetites. Rower’s hybrid painting/reliefs form a unique language that speak to the visual pyrotechnics of Op Art, the post-minimalist build-up of materials and the tradition of unorthodox support for painting, one that follows the trajectory of Marcel Duchamp’s large glass and joins Robert Rauschenberg’s combines, Sigmar Polke’s t-shirts and tablecloths to Dieter Roth’s dirt paintings. The ideas embedded in the work occasion interpretation and the delivery system—plywood, stacked and glued, acrylic, poured and dried—make for a sensual feast. The book incorporates the best traditions of fine press printing with thread binding and letterpress on heavy stock, paired 48 full-color plates. With text contributions by Thomas Ashcraft, David Carrino, Joost Elffers, John McWhinnie, Sofia Robledo Rower, and Sean Sweeney.

$30