What She Wants
A$3,500
of $3,500 targetyrs ago
Successful on 20th Apr 2012 at 1:00AM.
A collaboration between writer Urszula Dawkins
and artist Peter Lyssiotis, WHAT SHE WANTS will be a limited-edition artwork in
book form including eight previously unpublished stories of desire interleaved
with a series of abstracted cityscapes. In the style of the French livre d’artiste of the early 20th
century, this beautiful book extends a tradition that began with the private
exchange of erotica in the form of the precious object.
In an edition of ten, WHAT SHE WANTS will be created using high-end photo and litho reproduction on rag paper, and will be hand-bound using traditional methods. We already have expressions of interest from several Victorian institutions (major state libraries and universities) who are keen to acquire the book for their rare books divisions and special collections. This means that the intimate experience of handling and reading the book is not limited to a privileged few, but is accessible to anyone who wishes to explore the book's secrets.
"I wandered in the city, hoping for its clutches. The fog rose over my head, where it
whitened the sky and drew the wind in gusts under my skirts. I wanted it to take me;
for
something to take me under its spell. I was in lust, but
half-heartedly. I was open to it, knew its beauty from photographs, and
like a teenage girl I photographed it too, glued its image to the front
of my notebook, and told myself how in love I was.
Some June days the sky so blue it was an axe.
The warmth eased up off the pavement and reflected on my skin."
In an edition of ten, WHAT SHE WANTS will be created using high-end photo and litho reproduction on rag paper, and will be hand-bound using traditional methods. We already have expressions of interest from several Victorian institutions (major state libraries and universities) who are keen to acquire the book for their rare books divisions and special collections. This means that the intimate experience of handling and reading the book is not limited to a privileged few, but is accessible to anyone who wishes to explore the book's secrets.
Queer words in public places
As well as being a beautiful work of art, we see WHAT SHE WANTS as an important document of queer life, and city life, at the turn of the 21st century - and its acquisition by state institutions means it will exist in public collections - in theory forever - alongside everything from illuminated manuscripts to ancient maps to the un-dreamed-of precious texts of the future.
In other words, it's a rare chance for the voice of queer desire to sit proudly amidst Melbourne's publicly held cultural artefacts. And we hope that in time, some copies will travel beyond our UNESCO City of Literature, to reside in other cities that the book explores.
Come on the journey with us!
We've developed the concept, text and images, and now it's time to complete our final mockup, and create the finished version of What She Wants. But we need our community's help to do it!
Please join us on the journey - we've put together lots of rewards if
you can pledge us a few $ or lots, ranging from acknowledgment of your
help to your very own copy of the book. We hope you'll help us spread the word as well, by telling friends and contacts about our project!
The money we raise will cover things like high-end scanning, paper stock, professional pre-press set-up, litho printing and hand-binding. We want to make an object that is beautiful and sensual to hold in your hands; an enduring work that honours desire as a precious and luxuriant thing.
The creators - Urszula Dawkins and Peter Lyssiotis
Urszula Dawkins' spoken word performances have been heard in cities across Australia and in San Francisco and Copenhagen. Since the mid-1990s she has been a regular at Word is Out seasons in Melbourne, including events such as Cold Edge - The Arctic Circle (2011) and Here Not Here (2009). Desire and yearning are at the heart of her work, which has also been published in anthologies in Australia, the UK and the USA.
Photomonteur and artist Peter Lyssiotis has produced numerous small press books, photographs, and limited edition artists books including The Harmed Circle, From the Secret Life of Statues, The Product of Wealth, The Ifs of Language and A Gardener at Midnight, with diverse collaborators. His work has been acquired by private collectors, the State Galleries of Victoria, New South Wales and Queensland, the National Gallery of Australia, and several State and university libraries. His artists books have been exhibited throughout Australia, the USA and Europe.
Image: from What She Wants, manipulated photographic image by Peter Lyssiotis
MORE ABOUT WHAT SHE WANTS AT WWW.LIGHTBLUE.COM.AU
This project is assisted by the Victorian Government through Arts Victoria
A personally addressed postcard with an image and quote from the book, signed by the creators. Acknowledgment of your support for What She Wants on Urszula Dawkins' web site (with a link to your web site or blog.
3 chosen
Est. delivery is May 26
As above, PLUS your name included on the Acknowledgments page in the book itself.
4 chosen
Est. delivery is May 26
A personally addressed postcard with an image and quote from the book, signed by the creators AND posted to you from one of the cities referenced in the book. Acknowledgment of your support on Urszula Dawkins' web site AND in the book itself. Your choice of either an MP3 recording of one of the stories from the book, read by Urszula Dawkins; OR a 6x8 digital print of one of Peter Lyssiotis's images from the book.
2 chosen / 48 available
Est. delivery is May 26
A personally addressed postcard with an image and quote from the book, signed by the creators AND posted to you from one of the cities referenced in the book. Acknowledgment of your support on Urszula Dawkins' web site AND in the book itself. An MP3 recording of one of the stories from the book, read by Urszula Dawkins. An 8x10 digital print of one of Peter Lyssiotis's images from the book. A signed letter of thanks from the artists.
2 chosen / 48 available
Est. delivery is May 26
Acknowledgment of your support on Urszula Dawkins' web site AND in the book itself. An MP3 recording of one of the stories from the book, read by Urszula Dawkins. One of Peter Lyssiotis's images from the book, printed on Magnani acid-free paper and signed by the artist. A signed letter of thanks from the artists. An invitation to join us at the official launch of the book.
1 chosen / 29 available
Est. delivery is May 26
Acknowledgment of your support on Urszula Dawkins' web site AND in the book itself. A set of six personally addressed postcards with images and quotes from the book, signed by the creators and posted to you from cities referenced in the book. A set of three MP3 recordings of stories from the book, read by Urszula Dawkins. One of Peter Lyssiotis's images from the book, printed on Magnani acid-free paper and signed by the artist. A signed letter of thanks from the artists. An invitation to join us at the official launch of the book.
4 chosen / 11 available
Est. delivery is May 26
All the rewards as for $200, plus two special artists "collector's packages": • set of three MP3 recordings of Urszula Dawkins' spoken word performances - Oceans Apart (2002), Here Not Here (2009) and Cold Edge, The Arctic Circle (2011) • set of three books by Peter Lyssiotis - Three Cheers for Civilisation (1985), The Bird/The Belltower (2005), and his collaboration with poet Jas Duke and photographer Vivienne Mehes, Industrial Woman (1986)
0 chosen / 3 available
Est. delivery is May 26
All the rewards as for $200, plus your own electronic PDF version of the final book artwork together with an unbound digital sample (approx. A4)
0 chosen / 3 available
Est. delivery is May 26
All the rewards as for $200, plus: • your own electronic PDF version of the final book artwork together with an unbound digital sample (approx. A4) • a pre-launch, private showing of the finished book for you and five of your friends.
0 chosen / 1 available
Est. delivery is May 26
All the rewards as for $200, plus your very own unbound copy of the limited-edition book on Magnani acid-free paper
0 chosen / 2 available
Est. delivery is May 26
A finished, bound copy of What She Wants from the limited edition of ten, signed by the artists
0 chosen / 2 available
Est. delivery is May 26