Gaylord Schanilec will talk about his on-going book project based a stretch of the Mississippi River that sweeps past his home near Stockholm, Wisconsin. He has converted an old, aluminium-hulled fishing boat into a floating studio/observatory of sorts. His territory, a 22-mile-long widening of the river, reputably holds nearly 70 species of fish, is part of a major migratory bird flyway, and was the avenue of early European exploration into the heart of the North American continent. Schanilec has been photographing fish, birds and other specimens from the natural world for use as subjects in colour wood engravings. He has also embarked in a study of the human history of this body of water. These investigations will form the content of the book The River, along with other objects of interest that drift his way.
Since the establishment in 1980 of his imprint, Midnight Paper Sales, Schanilec has printed a number of books from wood blocks and metal type, including two, Mayflies of the Driftless Region (2005) and Sylvæ (2007), that have set a course into the natural world. Over the years, his work has been commissioned by institutions including the Gregynog Press in Wales and the Grolier Club of New York. He has received numerous awards including Awards of Excellence from the American Institute of Graphic Arts, the Carl Hertzog Award for Excellence in Book Design and the Gregynog Prize. His work is represented in many major collections of contemporary book art including the New York Public Library, the Getty Museum and the British Library.
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