San Francisco Bay
San Francisco Bay: Artist’s Book sequentially presents ten screen printed maps of the San Francisco Bay from a continental view to a specific tidal marsh in Redwood City, California. Above each map, translucent overlays show environmental paths: species migration, earthquake faults, tides, currents, deltas, tributaries, channels, tidal marshes, human-induced bay fill, water levees, trails, bridges, and the Hetch Hetchy water tunnel under the bay. Each map is contained in a folio with a unique symbol drypoint printed on its cover. Symbol concepts include: geologic change, species interconnectedness, spiritual grounding and human influence.
The impetus for this book was the 2012 Earth·Art·Science project that paired artists with scientists from the Santa Cruz-based USGS Pacific Marine and Coastal Science Center. Scientist Lissa McVean conducted field research on the movement of water and sediment though the shallows of the San Francisco Bay. Printing techniques inform the book’s concept: screen printed maps flood ink through stencils to fill the page with blue ink/water (water movement), etched symbols transfer ink from the printing plates ink reservoirs to paper (sediment movement), translucent paper behaves like water by nature of its transparency.
The project logo, featuring the bay’s wetland tidal marshes, is screen printed on the book’s cover and title page. The shape of the bay, appearing in a circle, can be misinterpreted as one of earths’ continents. This play on earth and Bay Area expresses the international diversity and global influence of the region.
Title: San Francisco Bay: Artist’s Book
Pages: Title page, 10 maps, 10 map overlays, 10 symbols, colophon
Media: Artist’s book. French link exposed spine binding. Screen printing, pigment printing, drypoint etching.
Paper: Rives BFK Heavyweight 280 gsm, Glama Natural Digital Clear 40 lb, Shikoku Natural 80 gsm
Box: Clamshell box with magnetic close. Book cloth on book board. Screen printing.
Size: 17.5 x 13.5 x .75” (45 x 34 x 2 cm)
Edition: 3
Year: 2012
Related Project: San Francisco Bay Portfolio of Prints