The Book of Soles (Souls) by Marilyn R. Rosenberg and C. Mehrl Bennett

Publisher	Luna Bisonte Prods
Published	February 1, 2011
Language	English
Pages	24
Binding	Saddle-stitch Paperback
Interior Ink	Full color
Dimensions (inches)	6.1 wide × 9.2 tall

C. Mehrl Bennett and Marilyn R. Rosenberg are masterful collaborators, poets, and inventors of colorful images and themes. “Dancing ants reading” – one of the delightful phrases swarming in this vivid artist’s book, which has as its central theme the soles of our feet and all that such a topic implies about self, time, motion through life, and one’s place(s) in the universe. Extremely colorful and full of fascinating detail, it is a work which can be repeatedly enjoyed and reveals new secrets each time. Appealing as visual poetry, as graphic design, and as an artist’s book, this collaboration achieves the most fulfilling of any collaboration between 2 artists: it becomes as if it were the work of a third person, a new artist never before discovered. - John M. Bennett / February 2011

Update on Thursday, May 19, 2011 at 4:39 PM by John M. Bennett

    

CHOOSE TO ORDER VIA YELLOW BUY NOW button (Paypal) if you wish to purchase a copy of the book ($10);  or a SIGNED copy of the book with a SIGNED set of four perforated artists stampsheets of four different designs (all four images are also included in the book as unperforated pagespreads). During the 2011 NYC Fluxfest, in which John M. Bennett and C. Mehrl Bennett were performers, time was made to visit Marilyn R. Rosenberg at her studio in NYC & a limited edition of 25 sets of four stampsheets and 25 books were signed by both collaborators (C. Mehrl Bennett and Marilyn R. Rosenberg). A very reasonable price of $24.00 (plus $2.75 shipping) is now offered for a limited time for five of these SIGNED and numbered sets.  After five signed sets are sold, the price will double for the remaining five signed sets held by LBP. [Two sets were reserved for two shoe box book projects that the two artists/visual poets are collaborating on/ half the batch of signed works are for sale by request through MRR.]

WHAT IT SAYS by C. Mehrl Bennett 

Publisher	Luna Bisonte Prods
Published	July 25, 2009
Language	English
Pages	64
Binding	Saddle-stitch Paperback
Interior Ink	Black & white
Dimensions (inches)	5.8 wide × 8.3 tall

C Mehrl Bennett's background is in the fine arts; B.A. in painting and drawing; with an exhibit history from the 80's and early 90's that focused on sculptural junk assemblage and installations. In an effort to revisit 2-dimensional art, she has found her creative spirit with today's digital software tools, combining her artistry with a longtime interest in visual poetry. This book includes text-only versions of works found at www.flickr.com/cmehrlbennett , and of digital & multi-media vispo published in WORDS & JUNK, Vispoeology (Minneapolis Center for Book Arts), Otoliths, e-zines www.wombpoetry.com and www.nakedsunfish.com and www.madhattersreview etc.

My Kimono Book by C. Mehrl Bennett

 

Publisher	Luna Bisonte Prods
Published	June 26, 2008
Language	English
Pages	68
Binding	Perfect-bound Paperback
Interior Ink	Full color
Dimensions (inches)	7.4 wide × 9.7 tall

In her collaborative technique alone, Cathy both conforms to and goes against tradition. She conforms to the traditions of collaboration by reacting appropriately to the work of her collaborators, and she spurns convention by deciding on the final product herself, by being, truly, the full creator of these pieces. And it is a technique that works. Her results react to the data she receives. It is as if her collaborators whispered something into her ear, and she created from that an unexpectedly accurate representation of what they had imagined.

(Above is excerpt from a review by Geof Huth)

The kimono material in this book originates from other artists and writers - with their permission - with due credit made on each image. Often I've given website links in my comments not only so that the original image(s) contributed by my collaborator can be viewed, but also to allow the reader to do research to learn more about these incredibly creative people and to view their art, visual poetry, poetry, photography, etc. I've taken liberties to collage and embroider with Photoshop Elements 4.0 so as to fuse multiple images by one person or to elaborate on a composition or theme that develops as I work to 'fit' the kimono to that persona. It is a joy to work with material from creative people whose art and poetry I so much admire, and I feel like a 'curator' of sorts as I build my kimono collection. As when a poet constricts his/her self to the rules of a haiku, and thus discovers new surprising twists of life in language, so do I surprise myself again and again within the shape of the kimono. -CMB

 

Words & Junk by C. Mehrl Bennett To preview http://www.lulu.com/product/paperback/words-junk/2647728 

Publisher	Luna Bisonte Prods
Published	April 5, 2008
Language	English
Pages	50
Binding	Perfect-bound Paperback
Interior Ink	Full color
Dimensions (inches)	8.5 wide × 8.5 tall

This book is PRO FOUND and PRO FUN! C. Mehrl Bennett comes from a fine arts background; B.A. in painting and drawing, spent many years as a mail artist, and has an art exhibit history from the 80’s and early 90’s that focused on junk assemblage (found objects- thus the claim for PRO FOUND). This work in this book combines her creative spirit of play using digital software with a longtime interest in visual poetry and includes collaborations (in the spirit of mail art). C. Mehrl Bennett lives in Columbus, OH, with spouse (they met through mail art), poet John M. Bennett. Her word art has been published in Lost&Found Times, Vispoeology, Otoliths, www.nakedsunfish.com, Womb, Word For/Word, and Black Box. Two reviews are posted under book details on the Lulu site by Sheila E Murphy and Bob Grumman.

 O N D A - John M. Bennett and Thomas M. Cassidy

Publisher	Luna Bisonte Prods
Published	March 2, 2009
Language	English
Pages	106
Binding	Perfect-bound Paperback
Interior Ink	Full color
Dimensions (inches)	7.4 wide × 9.7 tall

These works were created in 2008, when, per Thomas Cassidy, "I committed myself to doing 1,000 drawings in 2008 - roughly 100 a month or 3.33 per day allowing two months off for vacations and idle drinking." John M. Bennett is primarily a poet. John and Tom have corresponded through the mail for decades and the two of them are the primary collaborators for this book, with a generous sprinkling of works done with these other artist/poets: Sheila E. Murphy, Mark Sargent, Baron, Jukka Pekka Kervinen, Reed Altemus, Scott Helmes, Luigino Solamito, and Rea Nikonova. A total of 100 full-color images are here to drown in.