Desperate illustrator?

Dear illustrators, or aspiring illustrators, if you're ready to worn out the soles of your shoes along the corridors of the Bologna Book Fair, looking agonizingly for a publisher/art director/professional illustrator whom to show your works to, today, for you, there are good, better

EXCELLENT NEWS!

A real task force composed by professional illustrators, upon whose identity remains a deep mystery, have decided to be at your disposal, how?!? Well, read here and rejoice:

No Book will be Neglected

BOLOGNA CHILDREN'S BOOK FAIR 2011

Dear friends, colleagues and editors,

it's several years now I started having the feeling that, for those who are moving their first steps in the world of children's books illustration, there are less and less chances during the Bologna Book Fair to show their work, to receive advices and, why not, solemn harsh criticism (that are always useful).

This is not the moment to discuss the reasons for it: there is much to do, everybody is tired, there's no time to concentrate.

It still remains true that those guys need a first contact with professionalism and some advice.

Even if natural selection – bringing ahead not simply those illustrators that are the more talented from the technical point of view but also those who are able to get by in the complex world of publishing – has some sense, I believe that a minimum availability for young illustrators is a duty, for those who made it, more than being something that can reveal to be useful, not just for them.

The CMYK Project is a group of superheroes, or professional illustrators and authors whom, during the fair, have accepted to be available for younger illustrators to take a look at their books.

There is no established meeting, no place where they can show and queue up.

Our four can be recognized by a pin and a badge. If you see them, you can simply stop them and open up your book.

The four superheroes in this group are:

Mr. BLUE – MAGENTA - Mr. BLONDE - Mr. BLACK

One only request:  if Blue, Magenta, Blonde and Black aren't showing their badges exposed here below it means that they are NOT available, in that moment because otherwise busy.

                                                  

        

                                                       

                                     

please do respect this simple rule.

A sincere THANK YOU, for this generous and brilliant idea is the least thing I can say! 

This whole thing makes we wish to give chase to them, my camcorder at hand, ready to capture any sign, in alert looking for suspicious jams in the corridors, of wary cliques scattered in the less obvious corners. To be in theme I shall wear a mask too... well, if I think of it I'd better not: the only one I have is a cat's mask, remains form carnival, which makes me certain that I would unavoidably be mistaken for Garfield!!! Mumble, mumble, mumble... what shall I do? Well, I'll think of it!

Anyway:

THANK YOU GUYS, YOU'RE OUR HEROES!

FESTIVAL MINIMONDI - XI Edition 12th-27th March

It's about time: Festival Minimondi is back!!!

Once again Parma turns cultural thanks to the eleventh edition of the famous festival, devoted to literature and illustration, that will run from March 12^th to 27^th.

Like in past editions, the festival's program is extremely varied, in fact amid other events there will be: the fantastic Remy Charlip exhibit, several workshops and events with authors and illustrators, and with Editoriale Scienza, meetings at schools, workshops with Focus Pico about graffitis and artwork with plasticine, a season of films at Cinema D'Azeglio and the always actual initiative Adopt a Publisher.

Amid the guests: Brunella Baldi, Viorel Boldis, Francesca Capelli, Ennio Cavalli, Anna Cerasoli, Roberto Denti, Ermanno Detti, Miriam Dubini, Silvana Gandolfi, Antonio Nicaso, Giulia Orecchia, Chiara Rapaccini, Gustavo Roldan, Silvia Roncaglia, Andrea Salvatici, Guido Sgardoli, Iole Severi Silvestrini, Tabitha Suzuma, Virgilio Sieni, Vanna Vannuccini, Guia Risari.

I would like to focus your attention on one event, to my opinion, unique: the exhibition 

REMY CHARLIP DANZARE IL MIO LIBRO*

that will run from March 12^th to April 25^th at Galleria San Ludovico**. The show has been organised by Festival Minimondi and edited by: Les Trois Ourses, Associazione Minimondi and by the architect Marco Ferreri, who is responsible as well for the setting up.

First of all this is the first italian show devoted to the American artist in its whole, that is to say a one-man exhibition including his activities as illustrator, author, choreographer and dancer as well, it's therefore a unique occasion that you shouldn't miss.

Charlip is a really extraordinary character, who has lived a very interesting life: choreographer and dancer as I said he collaborated, for about 12 years, with the company of the legendary avant-garde choreographer Merce Cunningham. Though, during his career in the world of dance, he never stopped writing children's books, because: "I have always wanted to do picture books for children"***. From the beginning of the fifties, Charlip has published more than 30 titles of which the last, A Perfect Day, dates 2007. As he declared during a celebration dedicated to him in '97, from Library's Children's Literature Center Convention, he loves changing style and experiencing new languages and perspectives, in order to better represent a variety of situations: "How I look at subjects, people and things are different, so I like to bring that to the books"***

To give voice to the multi- artistic soul of the American author, the exhibit has been set up by dividing the main central room, where the first editions of his books will be showcased together with original artwork from his books, from lateral niches where didactical activities will take place and where videos with Charlip's performances as dancer and choreographer will be shown.

In the context of Charlip's activity in the world of dance, on March 14^th at 06.00 p.m., Virgilio Sieni will execute the performance titled "Stanze, accenni e sguardi sul corpo come luogo”**** dedicated to Merce Cunningham, who was one of his teachers.

Amid the many interesting documents of the show there is as well a letter from Bruno Munari, dated 1958, where he congratulates Charlip for his book It looks like snow and, meanwhile, sends him a mock-up of his book Nella nebbia di Milano. It's nice to realize how culture grows always richer when it opens up, letting experience flow through communicating vessels that make it wider. In this case our communicating vessels are human relationships and the ability to open up to exchanges: in 1981, Munari dedicated Charlip (and John Cage) his Cappuccetto Bianco**** for those who know both texts the reason is quite evident.

Of Charlip's many books, il Italy only two have been translated: Niente, published on 2007, and Fortunatamente, that has just been published, both texts were published by Orecchio Acerbo. Fortunately is as well the 100^th title of the roman publisher that celebrates its 10^th anniversary this year.

One last curiosity: writer Brian Selznick has the merit to have made Charlip famous in the world, in some case way before his books were translated and published, because he got inspired by Charlip's features for the character of Georges Méliès, in his book La straordinaria invenzione di Hugo Cabret (The Extraordinary Adventure of Hugo Cabret).

In short: don't loose this occasion!

For more information you can contact the following:

e-mail: info@minimondi.com
website:     http://www.minimondi.com/
telephones: 3287826571 - 3208112085 - 3487334761

*REMY CHARLIP DANCE MY BOOK

**Galleria San Ludovico is in Borgo del Parmigianino 2/b, Parma. It's opened from 09.30 a.m. To 06.30 p.m., it's closed on Tuesdays.

*** Both mentions were taken from the article: "Young at Heart: A Celebration of Remy  Charlip", published in the Library of Congress LC Information Bulletin, June 23, 1997.

Image Copyright© Orecchio Acerbo Editore 2011, all reproduction is severely forbidden.