This Land
A handmade book designed and created by Leslie Wayne in a limited edition of five with one artist’s proof and one HC.
Each book measures 8 ¼ x 6 ¼ inches and contains 52 pages folded into an accordion format. The images are archival digital prints of aerial photographs taken and reimagined by the artist, accompanied by the poem “The Ages Have Been At Work” by Taylor Brorby, and the lyrics to Woodie Guthrie’s song, “This Land is Your Land.”
The paper is Moab Moenkopi Unryu 55 gsm and the typeface is Big Caslon, except for the title, which is Academy Engraved. The cover is made with Asahi Bookcloth Blue Mohair, and the seal was designed by the artist.
This book was inspired by a series of aerial photographs Wayne took on a flight from New York to Seattle in 2021. As she looked out of the airplane window and took in the magnificence of the changing landscape below, she also thought of Woodie Guthrie’s iconic song and wondered about the imprint of Manifest Destiny and its troubled legacy today. The book accompanies Wayne’s solo exhibition also entitled This Land at Jack Shainman Gallery in NYC.
