In the SFCB Gallery
Jan 25-Apr 25, 2008
Curators: Mary Austin & Kathleen Burch
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 Vostok
Michael Bartalos, artwork, text, and structure As a book illustrator and printmaker, Bartalos' forms are characterized by bold graphic forms merged with type, digital media combined with letterpress, and sculpture. His projects have utilized laser cutting technologies, perforated metals, neoprene, wire, fastening hardware and a variety of handmade papers. As an author, his work reflects his experiences traveling to extreme longitudes, and throughout lengthy latitudes. Michael Bartalos comments: "Vostok refers to the largest subglacial lake in Antarctica. Lake Vostok is a relatively recent discovery and preliminary research suggests that it supports active micro-organisms that evolved in isolation for several millions of years. However, until scientists devise a way to study this uniquely pristine environment without contaminating it, its life forms remain as much a mystery as those beyond our atmosphere. Vostok drills deep to reveal a trajectory between deep ice and deep space." The text and images were letterpress and screen printed on French Dur-o-Tone cover stock and the coptic-bound signatures are cased in hinged wooden covers. The wood is a nod to Ernest Shackleton's Aurora Australis whose covers were cut from wooden provision cases in 1908 to create the first book ever published in Antarctica. All images originated from digital illustrations by Bartalos, who also wrote the accompanying text. | |||
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