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ART & ARTISTS

The Porcupine's Quill publishes a variety of titles focused on the visual arts. This includes a selection of biography and memoir by and about iconic artists like Christopher Pratt and P. K. Page and critical volumes on the role and artistic practice of artists like James Reaney and Jack Chambers. Our list also features a unique focus on wood engravings by such artists as George A. Walker, Gerard Brender à Brandis and more.

Biography and Memoir

Thoughts on Driving to Venus
Thoughts on Driving to Venus
Christopher Pratt
ISBN 9780889843844

Thoughts on Driving to Venus documents the thoughts, memories and impressions of Canadian artist Christopher Pratt as he drives across Newfoundland in search of inspiration.

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Fabulous Peculiarities
Tom Smart
ISBN 9780889843790

Fabulous Peculiarities traces the artistic evolution of Canadian artist Tony Calzetta, whose penchant for experimentation and ability to both work within and subvert the rules has resulted in a unique and complex but unified aesthetic.

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Mexican Journal
P. K. Page
ISBN 9780889843646

P. K. Page recounts her experiences as wife to the Canadian ambassador to Mexico in the early 1960s. Raw, bluntly honest and at times painfully intense, the journal entries expose Page's attempts to overcome troubling phobias and spiritual barrenness.

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Brazilian Journal
Brazilian Journal
P. K. Page
ISBN 9780889843479

In Brazilian Journal P.K. Page is a breathless visitor on another planet, seeing every living creature as equal in wonder.... And because she was learning how and how not to live in a foreign country this book is a fabulous and witty and compassionate ars poetica.’

—Michael Ondaatje

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Theory and Criticism

The Art of P. K. Irwin
The Art of P. K. Irwin
Michèle Rackham Hall
ISBN 9780889843950

With rich biographical detail and extensive reference to Irwin’s lyrical life writing, The Art of P. K. Irwin takes readers along on the artist’s journey toward her own aesthetic, one in which "place was her most potent muse, and exile her most fertile state."

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Palookaville: Seth and the Art of Graphic Autobiography
Palookaville: Seth and the Art of Graphic Autobiography
Tom Smart
ISBN 9780889843974

Smart’s analysis of the Palookaville story unfolds tantalizing clues into the artist’s construction of identity, but more, it reveals art’s ability to make sense of life, the passage of time, and perhaps even our own humanity.

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The Emblems of James Reaney
The Emblems of James Reaney
Thomas Gerry
ISBN 9780889843585

‘Thoroughly researched and annotated, the book provides even the uninitiated with all the information and context required to arrive at an admiration of the full reach of Reaney's creative endeavors.’

—Barbara Bamberger Scott, Foreword Reviews

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Drawings and Sketches

A Caledon Sketchbook
Richard Nevitt
ISBN 9780889843103

‘In Richard Nevitt's hands the act of drawing becomes something more than a mechanical recording of the natural world.... Each of Richard's drawings takes us on a very personal journey of discovery as he delves into the living elements of landscape and its transcendent aspects.’

—Tom Smart

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Joyce Wieland
Jane Lind
ISBN 9780889843219

Joyce Wieland is a fascinating read that is sure to give greater appreciation of this famed Canadian artist.’

—Margaret Lane, Midwest Book Review

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Off the Wall
Off the Wall
Tony Urquhart and Michael Phillips
ISBN 9780889843585

‘The commentaries, or rightly so, "captions", are as imaginative, absurd, humourous and surreal as some of the drawings, prints and sculptures that grace the pages of this finely produced volume.’

—Ralph MacKay, chumleyandpepys.blogspot.com

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Wood Engravings

For more books featuring wood engravings, visit the Wordless Novels.

See What I'm Saying?
See What I'm Saying?
Jim Westergard
ISBN 9780889844124

In See What I'm Saying? wood engraver Jim Westergard puts his artistic talents—and his wicked sense of humour—into play with equal effect, offering a series of visual interpretations of some of the more quirky words and phrases that pepper the English language.

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Oddballs
Oddballs
Jim Westergard
ISBN 9780889843899

‘With Oddballs Jim's hands keep up with his prolific imagination and wit, his engraving and writing complementing each other, bringing out the very best of his unique vision.... Oddballs is a master's class in the art of wood engraved portraiture.’

—Tony Drehfal, Multiples

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The Grand River
The Grand River
Gerard Brender à Brandis and Marianne Brandis
ISBN 9780889843813

Wood engraver Gerard Brender à Brandis and writer Marianne Brandis reveal through words and images the ecological, social and historical significance of the Grand River in Ontario.

Other art books by this artist: Concord of Sweet Sounds, A Wood Engraver's Alphabet, Wood, Ink & Paper

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Loteria Huasteca
Lotería Huasteca
Alec Dempster
ISBN 9780889843837

‘Challenging, fascinating, and often deep, it is a glimpse into an intoxicatingly rich culture and a sure pick for those who appreciate art and for fans of Mexican cultures.’

—Anna Call, Foreword Reviews

Other art books by this artist: Lotería Jarocha

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Out of the Wood
Out of the Wood
Rosemary Kilbourn
ISBN 9780889843462

‘Kilbourn’s sumptuous visions remind me of a fellow nature worshiper with an equally textured style: early nineteenth-century British Romantic painter Samuel Palmer. In the work of both artists, there is a kind of quiet ecstasy expressed that makes them a pleasure to behold again and again.’

—Julie Eakin, Foreword Reviews

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The Porcupine's Quill would like to acknowledge the support of the Ontario Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts for our publishing program. The financial support of the Government of Canada through the Canada Book Fund (CBF) is also gratefully acknowledged.

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