Tour of the Breath Gallery

This broadside features the work of Julien Strong, the author of four books, including the poetry collections "Tour of the Breath Gallery" and "The Mouth of Earth." Its design is meant to evoke the ephemeral aliveness of the breath, which changes moment-to-moment, impossible to preserve or control. To this end, the poem is illustrated by a monoprint made with an inked string, whose position on the page is largely determined by chance. In addition to rendering each print unique, this process aspires to capture the heart-stopping spontaneity of flinging an unwieldy, ink-drenched thread onto pristine paper, hoping its twists and tangles will complement rather than obscure the painstakingly printed poem.

Hand-set 18 and 36 point Centaur, printed on Boxcar Press Cotton Flurry Paper using a Vandercook cylinder press. Edition of 33, 12"x18".