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Cardinal/Ordinal Artist's Book by Ellen Knudson

$2,200.00

This piece is one of five finalists for the 2026 MCBA Prize and on view in our gallery August 29 - November 29. "Cardinal/Ordinal is an artists book that addresses the language of and the problem with maps. I adore maps. I am endlessly attracted to their visual appeal and to the intricate work that has gone into their graphic complexities, beautiful topographical renderings, and typographical finesse. Yet I am cognizant of the centuries of damage done to the native peoples of this world. Maps are a haunting and relentless record of that pain. In my research for this book, I encountered the pervasive use of ruling class white men's names in places that in reality do not belong to human beings at all. There is also an inordinate amount of hateful and racist place names that are still present on printed maps. My approach to the system of maps is an exploration of the subconscious ways that we experience maps. On each of the thirty pages of the book, I apply the phrase "A Map is ____" to initiate unique ways of considering our interactions with maps and with one another in the places we call home. Cardinal/Ordinal is the “conceptual cousin” to the artist's book Ingress/Egress from 2016. That book uses the phrase "A Book is ____" to encourage exploration around the physical, conceptual, and environmental nature of artists' books. Visually inspired by historical works such as World Geo-Graphic Atlas by Herbert Bayer, and the work of Edward Tufte, Cardinal/Ordinal makes a similar connection with maps. Cardinal/Ordinal is letterpress printed from photo-polymer plates on translucent mulberry "teabag" paper. Each page is tabbed with red Mitsumata paper. Referencing the flexibility of a road atlas, the book is hand-bound in a Japanese stab binding and housed in a four-sided case enclosure. 15.5” x 13.5” x 1/2”. Written, designed, and printed by Ellen Knudson / Crooked Letter Press in Gainesville, Florida. 2026. 30 pages. Edition of 40. Signed by the artist." —Ellen Knudson 15.5" x 13.5" x 0.5" *Consignment item. Not eligible for 10% membership discount. All consignment purchases are final and non-refundable once shipped.

This piece is one of five finalists for the 2026 MCBA Prize and on view in our gallery August 29 - November 29. "Cardinal/Ordinal is an artists book that addresses the language of and the problem with maps. I adore maps. I am endlessly attracted to their visual appeal and to the intricate work that has gone into their graphic complexities, beautiful topographical renderings, and typographical finesse. Yet I am cognizant of the centuries of damage done to the native peoples of this world. Maps are a haunting and relentless record of that pain. In my research for this book, I encountered the pervasive use of ruling class white men's names in places that in reality do not belong to human beings at all. There is also an inordinate amount of hateful and racist place names that are still present on printed maps. My approach to the system of maps is an exploration of the subconscious ways that we experience maps. On each of the thirty pages of the book, I apply the phrase "A Map is ____" to initiate unique ways of considering our interactions with maps and with one another in the places we call home. Cardinal/Ordinal is the “conceptual cousin” to the artist's book Ingress/Egress from 2016. That book uses the phrase "A Book is ____" to encourage exploration around the physical, conceptual, and environmental nature of artists' books. Visually inspired by historical works such as World Geo-Graphic Atlas by Herbert Bayer, and the work of Edward Tufte, Cardinal/Ordinal makes a similar connection with maps. Cardinal/Ordinal is letterpress printed from photo-polymer plates on translucent mulberry "teabag" paper. Each page is tabbed with red Mitsumata paper. Referencing the flexibility of a road atlas, the book is hand-bound in a Japanese stab binding and housed in a four-sided case enclosure. 15.5” x 13.5” x 1/2”. Written, designed, and printed by Ellen Knudson / Crooked Letter Press in Gainesville, Florida. 2026. 30 pages. Edition of 40. Signed by the artist." —Ellen Knudson 15.5" x 13.5" x 0.5" *Consignment item. Not eligible for 10% membership discount. All consignment purchases are final and non-refundable once shipped.

Ellen Knudson (she/her) is a book artist producing handmade books under the imprint Crooked Letter Press. The research topics of CLP books include mapping, geology, biology, gender, and climate. Portrayal of these topics balances the poetic and the scientific, oscillating between fact and artistic translation. Ellen is currently Associate in Book Arts at The University of Florida. Ellen has been a book artist and designer for 20+ years. She holds an MFA in Book Arts from The University of Alabama. She teaches book arts and letterpress at University of Florida and has also taught at University of Alabama, Mississippi State University, Wayne State University, and workshops across the U.S. Her work is in Library of Congress, SF MOMA, Smithsonian Library, Yale University and over 100 other national and international collections.
https://crookedletterpress.com/ | Instagram: @crookedletterpress