Collected Specimens: Gaylord Schanilec and Midnight Paper Sales

Collected Specimens:  Gaylord Schanilec and Midnight Paper Sales

January 15 – March 13, 2016

Gaylord Schanilec is a master fine printer and wood engraver.  Under his imprint, Midnight Paper Sales, he has produced over forty limited edition books that are often inspired by historical texts, his rural Wisconsin surroundings, and poetry.  The Special Collections Department and the Kohler Art Library hold a number of these works in their collections.  This exhibit features his most recent work and a representative sampling of his earlier books.

His latest books, Lac des Pleurs, Sylvӕ, and Mayflies of the Driftless Region, focus on the intersection of science and art, and reflect his abiding interest in ecology, natural history, and landscape.  Collected nature specimens such as fish, mussels, trees, and mayflies inform the print imagery in these exceptional portraits of Lake Pepin and its wildlife, his wooded property, and insects from a nearby fishing pool.

On personal loan from Schanilec are archival materials—printing proofs, end-grain maple blocks, book dummies, and production notes—that document the making of Lac des Pleurs.  They provide a rare glimpse into his time-intensive working methods and his singular artistry.

Schanilec will present a public lecture on February 15, 2016 as part of the University of Wisconsin-Madison Libraries’ 2nd annual Bernstein Book Arts Lecture.  His talk, Playful Science, will be held in Memorial Library, room 126, at 11:30 am.  He will also lead a printmaking workshop for art students during his visit.

These events are funded by the Leonora G. Bernstein Artists’ Book Endowment and sponsored by the Kohler Art Library.

Curated by Lyn Korenic, Kohler Art Library and Tracy Honn, Silver Buckle Press

Image:  Gaylord Schanilec. Lac des Pleurs = Lake of Tears: Report from Lake Pepin, 2015

See also excerpts from an interview with Schanilec in Library News & Events by Natasha Veeser.