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CBPA Chicago
BOOKWORMS IN NERD
HEAVEN
by Pedro Vélez
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Ludington Building in Chicago
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Whoever said print is dead forgot to tell the
graduates at the Center for Book & Paper Arts
at Columbia College in Chicago. They behave
like bookworms cloistered in nerd heaven, and
who can blame them? CBPA is located on the
second floor of the historic Ludington Building,
a terra-cotta-clad, steel-framed architectural
beauty designed by the “Father of the
Skyscraper” Willian Le Baron Jenney (18321907). Once home to the American Book
Company, the Ludington is only one of 22
buildings that compose Columbia College’s
downtown campus, which with 12,000 students is
the largest private arts and media college in the
nation.
Columbia College CBPA curator
Jessica Cochran and director
Steve Woodall with a work by
Eddie Villanueva
Columbia College CBPA grad
student Jenna Rodriguez
According to its website, CBPA is dedicated to
“furthering knowledge and appreciation of book
art, including letterpress and offset printing,
bookbinding, papermaking, and artists' books,” as
well as “promoting research and innovations in
the field.” In addition, CBPA offers an MFA
program in book and paper arts that’s affiliated
with the Interdisciplinary Arts Department at
Columbia.
Collection of historic type fonts
at CBPA, Columbia College
Columbia College grad student
Daniel Mellis
A page from a book by Daniel
Mellis at Columbia College
During my tour, hosted by curator of exhibitions
and programs Jessica Cochran and CBPA
director Steve Woodall, I saw rooms filled with
all sorts of antique machinery as well as hightech gear. I was told some of those machines are
capable of making film directly from computer
files for polymer plates and offset plates. CBPA
has a papermaking studio, a bookbindery and a
22,000-square-foot gallery dedicated to
exhibitions, symposia and an international
triennial of contemporary book and paper art.
Last but not least, the center is custodian of a
large collection of historical wood type sets, which
students may use for specific projects.
“This is heaven, look here, I am working on a
handset letterpress piece that requires a lot of
patience and I love it,” said Jenna Rodriguez,
showing me parts of her book of conceptual
family portraits embossed in shiny paper. Quietly
working in another room I found Daniel Mellis
binding 41 separate printing plates that compose
his investigation of language in the work of
philosopher Ludwig Wittgenstein. When asked
about his expectations with the program, he said,
“I would like to build a publishing empire.”
Despite his sarcasm, I would bet he can. Mellis
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The Center for Book & Paper Arts - artnet Magazine
4/5/11 5:17 PM
p
,
already has completed degrees in mathematics
from the University of Chicago and MIT.
Michael St. John, a graduate
student in the arts and media
department at Columbia College
Elizabeth Tonnard’s Mood
Potential
I also had the chance to visit the interdisciplinary
arts and media department, where I saw a
performance by grad student Michael St. John,
who was hitting a boxing bag in search of
catharsis. My best guess is he was fighting his
inner demons, represented by a large projection
of his dad, a professional boxer, as well as his
resounding paternal voice coming from
loudspeakers. The multimedia event lasted four
hours.
At the end of the tour I received what I consider
to be one of CBPA’s greatest assets, JAB - The
Journal of Artists' Books. Published in-house
twice a year, JAB is the only publication of its
kind that makes critical inquiry into artists' books.
I recommend you get your hands on JAB #27,
which includes a limited edition of “Mood:
Potential” by Elisabeth Tonnard. Printed in
duotone, the book consists of photographs of
clouds and treetops that seem to converse on
double-page spreads.
PEDRO VÈLEZ is an artist and critic living in
Chicago
JAB #27, published at the
Center for Book & Paper Arts at
Columbia College, Chicago
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