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Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera
 
 

Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera (Paperback)

~ (Author) "I can't make up my mind if mail art has to pass though the post in order to make it "official..." (more)
Key Phrases: Dubious Documents, Faux Mail
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)

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Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera + The Morning Star + Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds (v. 2)
Price For All Three: $34.92

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  • This item: Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera by Nick Bantock

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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Collage of paper ephemera—photographs, postcards, ads, newspapers, stamps, money, packaging materials, invoices, books and sheet music—is an artistic technique at least as old as modernism, with Picasso and Braque incorporating various scraps of Parisian paper into their early cubist works. Bantock, whose six Griffin & Sabine books imagine an epistolary love and include the "actual" letters and cards it is conducted through, offers a plethora of techniques for bringing past and present together by collecting aging paper, and transforming its original communicative use or transactional value through one's own choices in juxtaposition, placement and additive drawing. He offers beautiful, full-color examples of his own work in short chapters devoted to the various pulp forms above, with five or six paragraphs explaining what he likes or how he uses each (on family photos: "I'm not overly interested in battling internally with where sentimentality ends and nostalgia begins—so I steer clear all together"), followed by examples of works he's done with short captions. The printing and layout are as lush as Griffin & Sabine fans would expect, and Bantock offers a judicious mix of his own practice and advice for one's own.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


Product Description

His internationally best-selling Griffin & Sabine saga is treasured for its blend of lyrical storyline and compelling, imaginative art. Now Nick Bantock gives a short course in visual creativity in Urgent 2nd Class. A tour through the techniques and materials which constitute his signature style, Bantock shares with readers numerous ways ways of using old paper ephemera -- maps, letters, postcards, ledgers, scraps, photos, and many more items -- to create their own idiosyncratic art. Written for people of all artistic skill levels, the materials mentioned are all easily found and inexpensive, and the processes are simple enough to do at home (and with access to the most advanced machinery used in the book, a photocopier). An inspirational guide to the simple artistic techniques which can alchemically transform ephemera into remarkable works, Urgent 2nd Class is the handbook for a new generation of visual poets.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 128 pages
  • Publisher: Chronicle Books (August 12, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 081184305X
  • ISBN-13: 978-0811843058
  • Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 7.6 x 0.7 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (26 customer reviews)
  • Amazon.com Sales Rank: #67,665 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

    Popular in these categories: (What's this?)

    #6 in  Books > Literature & Fiction > Authors, A-Z > ( B ) > Bantock, Nick
    #43 in  Books > Arts & Photography > Other Media > Mixed Media

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Nick Bantock
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
I can't make up my mind if mail art has to pass though the post in order to make it "official." Read the first page
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Dubious Documents, Faux Mail
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Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
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What Do Customers Ultimately Buy After Viewing This Item?

Urgent 2nd Class: Creating Curious Collage, Dubious Documents, and Other Art from Ephemera
59% buy the item featured on this page:
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Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds (v. 2)
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Alexandria: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Unfolds (v. 2) 4.2 out of 5 stars (15)
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Sabine's Notebook: In Which the Extraordinary Correspondence of Griffin & Sabine Continues
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Customer Reviews

26 Reviews
5 star:
 (11)
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 (8)
3 star:
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Average Customer Review
4.0 out of 5 stars (26 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

 
76 of 76 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Not a "how to" but "you'll want to" book., December 28, 2004
By Terry L. Tyson (San Clemente, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   
Bantock's engaging and often enigmatic collaged images speak to several portions of the mind and imagination all at once. In creating his imaginary landscapes, correspondence and characters, the reader (or viewer in many cases), is brought along for guided tours of places that exist nowhere but in his mind's eye.

In "Urgent - 2nd Class" we are given the opportunity to hear him describe the processes utilized during the creation of these journeys. Admittedly, I initially anticipated a step-by-step description of those processes, but after reading it a second time, realized that to do so would have been, well...just silly. Bantock describes in very general terms of "how he does it" but does not insult the reader by telling them each movement to make when attempting to create Bantock-esque works of art.

Instead, he tells you the basic approach he uses and lets the reader/artist to take the information from there. You know, I appreciate his confidence and gentle guidance. For instance, when telling the reader about using rubber stamps in their work, he sagely advises to just DO IT! Give it a try, try different inks, try different image placements and then make it your own.

I do recommend this book for those who want to listen in on Bantock's advice...but don't expect him to show you detailed explanations of what to do...instead, listen to him guide you along and inspire you so that you'll want to do it.

Plus, this book is a nice, tasty little treat just to look at, if nothing else.
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42 of 44 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars excellent, February 21, 2005
By merrymousies (Waterford, VA USA) - See all my reviews
(TOP 500 REVIEWER)   
Really neat ideas. The images in here are superb and I love how the book is arranged by materials - e.g. old documents, foreign currency, postage stamps, old envelopes, etc. The images show how you can take these found items and then stamp over them or collage with them to create stories in images. The text is really good too - well written and interesting ideas throughout that talks to where to find the materials, things to look for, tips and techniques for assembling collages. Its simply wonderful - it really is like a class in a book but it feels like you're just chatting with an artsy friend sharing ideas. Just to manage expectations....there are no projects with step by step instructions in here. I had expected projects when I ordered the book and was a little surprised when I received it but after I started reading it I absolutely loved it and decided I really like the format and style.
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26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars Eyecatching Graphics, August 19, 2004
As in all of Bantock's books, the graphics are outstanding. Text describing techniques, however, is very sparse. If you're looking for instruction on technique, this is not the book to pick up. If you're looking for inspiration and colorful artwork using ephemera, this is a good one-hour read.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Some technique, some inspiration, and a lot of Bantock's work
"Urgent 2nd Class" doesn't seem to place one element of its agenda ahead of another. The author, Nick Bantock seems to have wanted to chat about his work, offer some insights... Read more
Published 1 month ago by E. M. Van Court

3.0 out of 5 stars Some food for thought but pretty thin
I love Nick Bantock's work, and I was about to take a workshop in which we would illustrate personal narrative by creating convincing "fake" documents, so I thought this book... Read more
Published 2 months ago by C. A. Raymond

5.0 out of 5 stars NOT Second Class
As an artist (and bookaholic), I was fascinated with Nick Bantock's delightful "Griffin & Sabine" which appeared almost twenty years ago. Read more
Published 5 months ago by B. Thornton

5.0 out of 5 stars A look behind the scenes
I'm not generally a fan of collage and assemblage, but two artists in those related areas really stand out for me: Joseph Cornell and Nick Bantock. Read more
Published 7 months ago by wiredweird

3.0 out of 5 stars Urgent . . . second class
Tbis is a beautifully presented and visually interesting book, the least I would expect from this source. Read more
Published 9 months ago by N. Miller

5.0 out of 5 stars If You Love Bantock...
I'm a Nick Bantock fan, through and through, so I enjoy any book that gives me insight into his creativity. Read more
Published on August 31, 2007 by Dar A. Hosta

4.0 out of 5 stars Not really a "hot to" book, but fascinating nevertheless
Bantock is probably best known for his "Griffin & Sabine" saga, consisting of slightly warped three-dimensional collections of fictional correspondence, and it's the sort of art... Read more
Published on August 16, 2007 by Michael K. Smith

4.0 out of 5 stars Most reviewers already have it right....
I love Nick Bantock. In my eyes he can do no wrong. His art is simply brilliant but like others have mentioned, this is not a real "how to" book. Read more
Published on May 27, 2007 by texastigger

1.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing
This book wasn't what I was hoping for in that the ideas and examples are all too similar in final product. Read more
Published on January 20, 2007 by aunt feddy

4.0 out of 5 stars Vintage Bantock but not a step-by-step book
I enjoyed Urgent 2nd Class because it was put together by Nick Bantock, who charmed me with the Sabine series and the Artful Dodger and others too numerous to mention. Read more
Published on January 19, 2007 by radishing woman

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