This Man Is Drilling a Well
artist book
(pre-orders click here)
Terry A. Ratzlaff
108 pgs
Full Color/Cyanotype Accordion Structure
First Edition of 50 + 5 Specia l(coming soon) + 2 AP
Drawing on the parallels between dreaming and collecting, "This Man is Drilling a Well" is a unique book sourced from a single drawer found in horologist Greg Arp's clock shop. The book takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through a constellation of fragmented images that reflect a junk drawer - a fold in spacetime where all ephemera accumulate in disorder. From schematics and patterns to magazine pages, furniture ads, wood grain samples, and photographs, this collection of ephemera, gathered over forty years, weaves together a modern narrative of movement, construction, and fragmentation.
In collaboration with Greg, "This Man is Drilling a Well" was conceptualized as a tangential collection of images that are intricately connected to the larger context of "The Marches" - a photographic labyrinth of time, memory, and absence. This work aims to explore how humans grapple with constructing and controlling the experience of time, while delving into the infinite depths of Arp Clock and Wood Shop. With a focus on recycling, reusing, and reappropriating, every piece in this unique collection finds renewed life and purpose.
Experience the world of This Man is Drilling a Well as it invites you to contemplate the interplay between dreams, collections, and the passage of time. Explore the hidden narratives that emerge from the juxtaposition of seemingly unrelated ephemera collected in a single drawer for 40 years.
This Man is Drilling a Well
(Unresolved unique book)
NFS
2022-present
Double Accordion, sewn signatures
Cyanotype, Gum Birchromate, Digital Inkjet Prints.
172 pgs
Drawing on the parallels between dreaming and collecting, "This Man is Drilling a Well" is a unique book sourced from a single drawer found in horologist Greg Arp's clock shop. The book takes readers on a mesmerizing journey through a constellation of fragmented images that reflect a junk drawer - a fold in spacetime where all ephemera accumulate in disorder. From schematics and patterns to magazine pages, furniture ads, wood grain samples, and photographs, this collection of ephemera, gathered over forty years, weaves together a modern narrative of movement, construction, and fragmentation.
In collaboration with Greg, "This Man is Drilling a Well" was conceptualized as a tangential collection of images that are intricately connected to the larger context of "The Marches" - a photographic labyrinth of time, memory, and absence. This work aims to explore how humans grapple with constructing and controlling the experience of time, while delving into the infinite depths of Arp Clock and Wood Shop. With a focus on recycling, reusing, and reappropriating, every piece in this unique collection finds renewed life and purpose.
The structure of this piece is intriguing, with the double accordion creating a sense of depth and complexity. The use of cyanotypes adds a layer of visual interest, with the blue tones creating a dreamy and ethereal atmosphere. The sewn signatures add a tactile element, inviting the viewer to engage with the piece on a physical level. The way the accordions fold in on each other and then deconstruct is a clever metaphor for the cyclical nature of dreams and new beginnings. Overall, this piece is a beautiful and thought-provoking exploration of the intersection between structure and creativity.
The Good Citizen, Benjamin Rasmussen
2022
Published by Gost Books
Special Edition of 25 +5 Artist Proofs + 2 Binder Proofs
(5 Exclusion, 5 Violence, 5 Archetype, 5 Beauty, 5 Surveillance, representing 5 chapters within the book)
Each box includes unique objects, 2 polaroids, a portfolio containg 1 archival press photograph, 1 archival inkjet photograph, and The Good Citizen book.
12.5x16x2.5”
Book board, Ratchford cloth
Between Past and Future
2022
Archival Drawer Box
Commissioned on the occasion for Joseph Kolean and Steph Holmbo’s 5th wedding anniversary.
2 photo drawers, 1 long top box, 3 internal stacking boxes
Book board, duo tone cloth, Ratchford cloth
BWS #13
2022
unique object
7.75x3x8.75
book board, cialux cloth
BWS #11
2021
unique object
8x10.25x2.25”
book board, cialux cloth, colored paper
BWS #06, 07, 08, 09
2021
slip case and drawer set
8x8x1.25”
book board, cialux cloth
BWS #12
2021
unique object
8.25x8.25x1.55”
book board, cialux cloth
The Watcher
2019
edition of 11 +2AP
118pgs, accordion fold with 7 sewn signatures, tipped in print
5.75x8.75”
3 copies available)basementwindowbindery(at)gmail.com
The Watcher
2018
unique book
365 pgs
8.5x11x4”
Miscellaneous clamshells and portfolios
2018-2019
All 11x14”
Client: Ed Strickland
2018
Custom Clamshell
Japanese Stab Bound Book
8.5x11”
Tengujo Antique Conservation paper for preserving plant pressings and archival images
Keepsake drawer with with silk ribbon for easy removal, Asahi Japanese Cloth
Client: Nish Nalbandian
Special Edition Box for 2 books
A Handful of Dust, A Whole World Blind
Custom box with 2 shelves and a window for prints, silk ribbon for easy removal
10x12”
2018
Client: Brad Torchia
2018
unique maquette
8.5x11”
Client: Benjamin Rasmussen
2018
unique maquette
8x10”
screw-post portfolio and slip case
11x14”
Client: David Kasnic
2018
maquette
8.5x11”
edition of 2
But The Eyes Are Blind One Must Look With The Heart
2018
box of archival inkjet prints, including digital appropriations, outtakes and text cards.
Inkjet transfer on White and Burgundy Cialux cloth.
11x14”
Edition of 3
But The Eyes Are Blind One Must Look With The Heart
2018
176pgs
68 Images
8 Digital Appropriations
Inkjet transfer on Cialux Cloth.
7.5x9.5”
Edition of 10
Blank Journals
5.5x8.5”