[Jandek] nyc show, corwood book project exhibition

[raymond jow]

we would like to share with the Jandek List some information concerning a 
Corwood project, to be premiered at the anthology film archives new york 
show next tuesday.  In addition to the main stage being used by jandek, 
loren connors and company, there will be in addition the use of the 
Anthology’s downstairs Courthouse Gallery where the collaborative works of 
Masumi Raymond with Corwood as well as Loren Connors will be featured.  
These include silkscreen prints, limited edition artists’ books, and a video 
presentation.   The video will be played throughout the evening on a loop, 
so that fans will be able to see the show as well.  The works will be placed 
on display and also available in advance through us, or at the gallery 
itself.

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a note about the making of the work.

for several years, we had been interested in the images that corwood 
provided for the summersteps jandek tribute album, and wondered how they 
would look as a book.  at the end of last year (2004), we decided to make 
such a book for our own pleasure.  two copies were made, one for ourselves 
and one for corwood.  with the book, we sent a throw-away camera and a 
letter, suggesting a possible collaboration of sorts on a book project using 
photographs and music as source material.   to our surprise and great joy, 
we received a package containing photographs, and permission to use one song 
from any of the albums.

after thinking over many possibilities, and following chance and desire, we 
started work.  inspired by the brief note sent to us, which merely said 
“thank you, looking forward,” we chose to use the landmark historic forward 
building in new york as the place for our work, where we mounted large scale 
transparencies onto the large windows.  our idea was to film it half an hour 
before and after sunrise, so that looking at the images would be “looking 
forward,” or looking from the forward building.  but the project for us was 
more about a certain kind of light.

we decided to complete the work, at the beginning of autumn as we initially 
wrote corwood.   how much of a coincidence then that jandek would be playing 
less than a ten minute walk from our studio, and at the beginning of autumn? 
  whatever the case,  we sent corwood a letter, and the response was:  “we 
herein approve the ‘official’ premiere of (your) two or three versions of 
the ‘looking forward’ project on tuesday, september 6, 2005, the day of  a 
corwood performance at anthology film archives”

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these are the specifications for the projects, two of which are completed,  
a third one is in the works and we plan to have it done in time for the 
show.

looking forward (2005)

an artist’s book/collaboration featuring the photographs of corwood 
industries.  handmade box set which contains: handbound 14 page book of 
photographic illustrations.  the accompanying video dvd is silkscreened with 
an image of the forward building in black, and enclosed in a silkscreened 
dvd cover with the words ‘looking forward’ in black.

edition of 50 plus 3 artists’ proofs
numbered and stamped 1-50

design and concept by masumi.raymond*
featuring the photographs of corwood industries
music: ‘the beginning’ from jandek, ‘the beginning’ (courtesy of corwood 
industries)
published by masumi.raymond*
completed august/september 2005

size: 	8 7/8" x 5 7/8" x 1/2" (top of box)
	8 7/8" x 6" x 5/8" (bottom of box)
	8.5" x 5.5" (book/dvd cover)
	5" dvd

looking forward (2005)- folio

an artist’s book/collaboration featuring the photographs of corwood 
industries.  a folio of 5 silkscreen prints, printed in black.  folio cover 
silkscreened in black.  dvd is silkscreened with an image of the forward 
building in black, and enclosed in a silkscreened dvd cover with the words 
‘looking forward’ in black, and mounted on sheet.  white rim dvd 
silkscreened with an image of the forward building in black.  wrap around 
obi silkscreened in black.

edition of 25 plus 3 artists’ proofs
numbered and stamped 1-25

design and concept by masumi.raymond*
featuring the photographs of corwood industries
music: ‘the beginning’ from jandek, ‘the beginning’ (courtesy of corwood 
industries)
published by masumi.raymond*
completed august/september 2005

image/paper: 13.25 x 20.25 (wrap around cover), monadnock astrolite 
brilliant white cover 100lb
	13 x 10 inches (photographic illustrations), monadnock caress smooth 100lb

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about us: under the name of masumi.raymond*, we make a variety of projects 
in different fields.  most recently, we have been working with the legendary 
avant garde guitarist (also our close friend) loren connors, on a series of 
limited edition artists’ books/recordings/drawing sets.  our fashion work 
was chosen by maison margiela/SHOWstudio as being of “the more creatively 
ambitious” and showcased on their site.   our books won ‘best of show’ two 
years in a row at the “prestigious” 100 show held at the american center for 
design and was recently a selected work at the tokyo type directors’ club.  
we continue to work on different small projects, including drawing 
sketchbooks (223 and counting), an upcoming show in tokyo for our 
collaborative works, releasing our own “music” ep, and continuing to work on 
our small press (to date, we have self-published 62 books of our own 
work/collaborations and several more are forthcoming).

thurston moore of sonic youth had this to say in a recent magazine about the 
work we did for loren connors: “a limited set of artworks that are superb 
and beautiful in their zen mind consciousness...the work done here is so 
exquisite and rarefied…a remarkable new chapter in loren’s ongoing creative 
life”.

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we have updated our website with the information regarding our projects 
featuring the work of corwood (in the ‘corwood industries’ section), as well 
as the new work done with loren connors (the ‘loren connors’ section).  we 
are also giving jandek fans a first chance to reserve copies of these 
projects and to pick them up at the show next week should they desire.  Feel 
free to email us for more information and pricing.  but first and foremost 
we would like to share the results of this collaborative work with y’all.

thank you,
Masumi Raymond

email: studio at masumiraymond.com
www.masumiraymond.com