Artists’ books at Clark Art Institute

WILLIAMSTOWN, MA - The Clark Art Institute presents the first solo museum exhibition of artist Raffaella della Olga, “Transcripts.” Della Olga makes artists’ books using modified typewriters and multicolor ink ribbons, printing on a wide range of materials. The exhibition is on view starting Saturday, November 22, through Sunday, May 31, in the Eugene V. Thaw Gallery for Works on Paper, located in the Clark’s Manton Research Center.
The exhibition assembles new and existing artists’ books alongside della Olga’s typewritten paintings and cut fabric wall-hanging works. A portion of the exhibition is devoted to comparative materials from the Clark Library’s collections to illustrate the rich history of typewriter art while also suggesting the artist’s unique contribution to the field.
Della Olga is considered a sculptor, typing on surfaces ranging from silk to sandpaper and embossing them with forceful keystrokes before binding them into three-dimensional form. With manual interventions, della Olga also draws, smearing sheets by pressing the ink ribbons with one hand while dragging the paper with the other.
The exhibition features 13 of della Olga’s books, seven typed paintings, three  textiles, and one wall-hanging. The exhibition is accompanied by a selection of rare and artists’ books from the Clark’s library collection, spanning the late 19th century to the present.
Since 2016, Della Olga has also made fabric works, called Stoffe, from the Italian word for textiles. Using found fabrics in tartan, plaid or gingham patterns - usually wool suiting - negative spaces defined by the grid are excised and displayed draped over a spent fluorescent tube. The effect is of a sheer surface with depth and volume. 
The final gallery of Typescripts features rare and artist’s books from the Clark’s library. Each of the 19 artists and writers represented in this section draws inspiration from the typewritten mark, whether to create abstract pictures or poetic language. Historical works include the earliest known and surviving example of typewriter art (1898) by Flora Stacey, typewriter studies by textile artist Anni Albers, work by the concrete poet and Benedictine monk Dom Sylvester Houédard, and a Fluxus score by artist Jackson Mac Low. This section also includes contemporary works by artists including Victoria Burge, JJJJJerome Ellis, Mary Lum, and sadé powell, each demonstrating the typewriter’s still vivid potential as a creative tool.
During the same period, and in conjunction with Typescripts, the Clark Library’s series of year-round public installations, Paginations, presents Gridlocked: The Geometry of Weaving, exploring facets of the art and science of weaving, as considered through a selection of manuals, pattern books, textile samples, and artists’ books. Going beyond practical applications, this display celebrates the intentional and inadvertent geometries related to the act of weaving. Gridlocked is free and open to the public in the Clark’s Manton Research Center reading room.
Della Olga will give an improvisational typewriter performance and talk with curator Robert Wiesenberger about the process of making artists’ books on Saturday, November 22, at 11 am, in the Manton Research Center auditorium.
The program is free. For accessibility questions call (413) 458-0524.