Sunday, July 18, 2010

Now out from Otoliths—Expanding The Radius by Mary Ellen Derwis & Joe Balaz



Expanding The Radius
Mary Ellen Derwis & Joe Balaz
72 pages, full color
Otoliths, 2010
ISBN: 978-0-9807651-0-6
$24.95 (currently with free postage in the U.S.)
URL: http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/expanding-the-radius/11020602

Early on in Expanding The Radius, Mary Ellen Derwis gives us an untitled narrative sequence of digital art, hinting at the human form, which picks up again towards the end of the book in a more figurative sequence— “Rendezvous”. Intimate portraits, wider anthropological insights, and other strongly titled art also prevail. Among other tightly woven directives, Joe Balaz includes multi-paged narrations “High in Blue”, “Fairly Textual”, and “The Industrial Poet”. Then there are the collaborations which find a distinct third voice, as often happens when two people are so creatively in synch. The book ends with two of Mary Ellen’s urban shots that include typographical symbols and a similar photo, a final pun by Joe— “C and Leave”. Many of these images have appeared separately in the quarterly “Otoliths”; now it’s a pleasure to see/read this combined three headed body of always direct, sometimes humorous, often profound digital art, visual poetry, and collaborations. —C. Mehrl Bennett

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