Summer Scholars: Sandstone Steps

Summer Scholars: Sandstone Steps: Cultural Crossings with Art, Poetry and Music
Monday 22 July, 12.30 – 13.30
Knowledge Centre. Free. Drop-in (no need to book).

A US book artist shares her work as part of the Eccles Institute’s Summer Scholars programme. 

The British Library has an outstanding collection of artist’s books and works published by American fine presses. This talk offers a unique insight into the creative process behind Sandstone Steps, a transatlantic collaboration between artists Maddy Rosenberg and Hugh Bryden.

Sandstone Steps: Cultural Crossings with Art, Poetry and Music is a transatlantic collaboration between Maddy Rosenberg (CENTRAL BOOKING, NYC) and Hugh Bryden (Roncadora Press, Dumfries), inspired by the story of the Corsehill sandstone from Scotland and its journey to New York. A multi-disciplinary cultural event in a staircase shaped box, it is an artist’s book in three parts, containing specially commissioned music, poetry and relief prints in each of its three ‘steps’. The literary element with poems by Desirée Alvarez and Hugh McMillan in the form of accordion fold artist's books and pamphlets/chapbooks; the musical element containing compositions by Rohin Khemani and Ben Bryden in the format of vinyl recordings and digital downloads; the visual element, with a portfolio of twelve relief prints by Maddy Rosenberg and Hugh Bryden.

The Summer Scholars season of free in-person lunchtime talks explores the exciting and wide-ranging research into the Americas and Oceania collections at the British Library by Eccles Institute Fellows and Award winners and British Library members of staff. The talks are drop-in (no need to book).  Be sure to check out our other Summer Scholars events.

Maddy Rosenberg was born and is based in Brooklyn, New York, while maintaining an active international exhibition and curatorial career. She works in oil painting, artist’s books, printmaking, toy theatre, animation and installation. In 2009, she founded CENTRAL BOOKING, an interdisciplinary curatorial project where she could focus on artist's books, art & science and collaborations. Her work is held at MoMA; Brooklyn Museum; British Library; Tate Gallery; Victoria and Albert Museum; Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art; and Staatsbibliothek zu Berlin. Rosenberg holds a BFA from Cornell University and an MFA from Bard College.