Ode to a Grand Staircase (for four hands) is based on composer Erik Satie's The March of the Grand Staircase (1914) and it's silent libretto-- musical notes that Satie forbade to be read aloud. The book is housed in a red, cloth covered box with a magnetic closure. The inside back of the case lists facts about Satie. The french-door structure of the book has a central cutouts, so that each page reveals something of the pages to come. Each of the two spines is made up of a shallow accordion fold, with pages glued to the folds in the manner of a flag book. When the covers are pulle out the pages stand out immitating the form of a staircase. When fully extended and viewed from above, the staircase/ piano key motif is further apparent., Signed by the artists
Text and images alternate on each of three flags per page. Each recto page of three flags has a very short original story about women or a woman and cars on the first and third flag with an image in the middle. The verso side of the page is in reverse, with images on the first and third and a quote about women and cars in the middle. When the book is fully opend an image of a woman leaning against a very early automobile apears. The image, likely taken from a photograph is in high contrast, without real half-tones, and is printed in beige on cream colored paper. The accordion of the binding is pink. The covers are hard, covered with cream colored paper., "Written after a decade of living in the car capital of the world, Women and Cars provides a new perspective on an old topic. Autobiographical narrative with photographic images."-- Susan Elizabeth King From the Women's Studio Workshop Artists' Books Archive http://www.wsworkshop.org/php/details.php?ID=54
This flag book is made up of three levels of flags attached to a shallow accordion. The beginning of the accordion is attached to the front of the wrap around cover, but the end of the accordion is unattached and must be pulled out by hand. The top and bottom flags consist of images of women in an art nouveau style and Native American motifs, while middle flags contain text concerning women's roles in society., Signed by the artist; Submitted to fulfill requirement of University of Oregon, Fine and Applied Arts Dept., Artists' Books course, 1988?
Flag book with tie closure; Title written on strips of paper hanging from strings; Produced uniquely for a show in 1988; Lettering by Marilyn Reaves; Publication and statement of responsibility information from the artist, Signed and dated by artist; Unique book created for solo show by Sandy Tilcock at Opus 5 (Gallery), Eugene, OR, July 1988.