In
search
of lost R
Author:
Darsłowa Kawonowski
Structure, materials, construction:
One hundred and eight paper leaves (pages) glued to the big black sheet of soft canvas-like textile. Six columns. Eighteen rows. The paper pages are in landscape position, horizontal rectangles with one side probably two times longer than the other one, and that's why the whole map is almost a square. The proportions of pages are the same as proportions of the blocks of buildings in the rectilinear grid of streets. The number of rows and columns seems rather the arbitrary choice of the author, although they can not be multiplied infinitely if this map is going to present a city existing outside the author's head and not only the one inside it. However, we can be quite sure, and say it with not much hesitation, that what we see is a mixture of both; but we can not be so sure as for the proportions and relations between them. The size of the map is not fixed – this is something more important; with no doubt there are other variants with different number of blocks, or pages. And even more than more important is that cutting off a row or a column will not disturb the integrity of this work – if this happens, the map will be smaller and it will present a smaller part of the two mixed towns, that's all.
The pages are made of quite thick paper, though calling it a cardboard would be an act of exaggeration. It is white, but its whiteness is not the absolute one; its whiteness is varied, sometimes close to greyish or to the colour (and texture) of the keys of very old, neglected and worn out grand piano. This indicates that different types and kinds of paper have been used. Although... it can also be the result of not evenly distributed light – the map is not perfectly smooth surface, and every page contains something different, is covered with different pencil strokes, so the page can be seen as made of different paper while all pages are made of the same paper.
Everything that is on the pages have been drawn-written with a pencil. With various pencils. Thick and thin ones. Soft and hard ones.
The black textile seen in between the pages presents the rectilinear grid of the streets. Of course, it has a function of hinges, too, for it is much more soft, less rigid, than paper is.
The printed version of Booklyn Map does exist. As expected, streets are the bending lines. But there are no pages (leaves) glued to the sheet. Since everything has been printed on one sheet of paper, all pages-blocks and streets have been merged into one plane, one level, and have the same texture. Is this version worse because of that? Well, hard to say. Definitely it is cheaper, because can be easily copied and multiplied.
Idea:
“Search” in the title could suggest the plot has at least some elements of sensation and suspense. Some riddles. Some puzzles. If not chases and pursuits (if the found R ran away), then at least gloomy mysteries, traps, blind alleys, labyrinths with no exit. We should be aware of the fact this is but a subtitle, and subtitles has only a supplementary function, they are entirely submitted to the main title. And in the main title: map. And a map is never a plot. A map is never an action. A map is as if freezing many different plots, more or less dynamic or static situations on a given territory, actions which are occurring simultaneously, each parallel to the other, not related or related invisibly and inaudibly for those who participate in these situations, while visibly and audibly for some of external observers. Traps, blind alleys and labyrinths are here quite numerous. The whole map is in fact a big labyrinth, a huge maze, because it presents a city which is a huge maze... writing frankly – it presents not a city, but life, entire world. While we keep creating such maps believing they can help us to find the way out of this labyrinth. And this is the only and the most important plot, how we skip from c4 to g5 and how we look for a hole or a slit, a leak, a tear which would enable our escape.
So, a map. Or not a book. Are we sure it is a map? It looks more like an Aztec codex. Reminds. Is similar to. Nothing else. Like it reminds old maps from before several centuries, full of funny drawings and illuminations depicting our imaginations and fantasies on distant, almost unknown lands and not the real pictures of them. This book-art-work is not similar to a comic book, not at all. A comic strip is a drawn film, each frame-picture is the result of the preceding frame-picture – unless the film was a combination of pictures absolutely not related, totally independent, but even then this comparison will not be accurate, because a comic-not-comic would always be a ribbon, never a sheet like the one we have right now in front of our eyes. A jigsaw puzzle of several hundreds of short-stories-poems-histories-pictures. Not written-drawn in a way omitting the letter R. No. Not at all. Kawonowski does not belong to the authors who are interested in extremely acrobatic formal restrictions and limitations. Besides, only one R is missing. All the others are where they are supposed to be.
Author:
Darsłowa Kawonowski
Structure, materials, construction:
One hundred and eight paper leaves (pages) glued to the big black sheet of soft canvas-like textile. Six columns. Eighteen rows. The paper pages are in landscape position, horizontal rectangles with one side probably two times longer than the other one, and that's why the whole map is almost a square. The proportions of pages are the same as proportions of the blocks of buildings in the rectilinear grid of streets. The number of rows and columns seems rather the arbitrary choice of the author, although they can not be multiplied infinitely if this map is going to present a city existing outside the author's head and not only the one inside it. However, we can be quite sure, and say it with not much hesitation, that what we see is a mixture of both; but we can not be so sure as for the proportions and relations between them. The size of the map is not fixed – this is something more important; with no doubt there are other variants with different number of blocks, or pages. And even more than more important is that cutting off a row or a column will not disturb the integrity of this work – if this happens, the map will be smaller and it will present a smaller part of the two mixed towns, that's all.
The pages are made of quite thick paper, though calling it a cardboard would be an act of exaggeration. It is white, but its whiteness is not the absolute one; its whiteness is varied, sometimes close to greyish or to the colour (and texture) of the keys of very old, neglected and worn out grand piano. This indicates that different types and kinds of paper have been used. Although... it can also be the result of not evenly distributed light – the map is not perfectly smooth surface, and every page contains something different, is covered with different pencil strokes, so the page can be seen as made of different paper while all pages are made of the same paper.
Everything that is on the pages have been drawn-written with a pencil. With various pencils. Thick and thin ones. Soft and hard ones.
The black textile seen in between the pages presents the rectilinear grid of the streets. Of course, it has a function of hinges, too, for it is much more soft, less rigid, than paper is.
The printed version of Booklyn Map does exist. As expected, streets are the bending lines. But there are no pages (leaves) glued to the sheet. Since everything has been printed on one sheet of paper, all pages-blocks and streets have been merged into one plane, one level, and have the same texture. Is this version worse because of that? Well, hard to say. Definitely it is cheaper, because can be easily copied and multiplied.
Idea:
“Search” in the title could suggest the plot has at least some elements of sensation and suspense. Some riddles. Some puzzles. If not chases and pursuits (if the found R ran away), then at least gloomy mysteries, traps, blind alleys, labyrinths with no exit. We should be aware of the fact this is but a subtitle, and subtitles has only a supplementary function, they are entirely submitted to the main title. And in the main title: map. And a map is never a plot. A map is never an action. A map is as if freezing many different plots, more or less dynamic or static situations on a given territory, actions which are occurring simultaneously, each parallel to the other, not related or related invisibly and inaudibly for those who participate in these situations, while visibly and audibly for some of external observers. Traps, blind alleys and labyrinths are here quite numerous. The whole map is in fact a big labyrinth, a huge maze, because it presents a city which is a huge maze... writing frankly – it presents not a city, but life, entire world. While we keep creating such maps believing they can help us to find the way out of this labyrinth. And this is the only and the most important plot, how we skip from c4 to g5 and how we look for a hole or a slit, a leak, a tear which would enable our escape.
So, a map. Or not a book. Are we sure it is a map? It looks more like an Aztec codex. Reminds. Is similar to. Nothing else. Like it reminds old maps from before several centuries, full of funny drawings and illuminations depicting our imaginations and fantasies on distant, almost unknown lands and not the real pictures of them. This book-art-work is not similar to a comic book, not at all. A comic strip is a drawn film, each frame-picture is the result of the preceding frame-picture – unless the film was a combination of pictures absolutely not related, totally independent, but even then this comparison will not be accurate, because a comic-not-comic would always be a ribbon, never a sheet like the one we have right now in front of our eyes. A jigsaw puzzle of several hundreds of short-stories-poems-histories-pictures. Not written-drawn in a way omitting the letter R. No. Not at all. Kawonowski does not belong to the authors who are interested in extremely acrobatic formal restrictions and limitations. Besides, only one R is missing. All the others are where they are supposed to be.
