An artist’s book that combines embroidery and episodic storytelling of love and loss and tells the story of a brother who defied yet never escaped the ableist gaze, published by Lundebye Press, 2023.
About the book
When my brother passed away in June 2019 a void opened. Our sibling relationship had lasted for Alexander’s full 42 years of life. Siblingship is one of the most significant and extended relationships we have in our lives. Grieving his loss led to embroidering objects that represented aspects of him on fabrics of his tailor-made shirts. Stitching became a slow ritual of processing grief and recalling memories of him, which in turn, inspired written narratives as episodic stories that connect to tell and celebrate a whole life.
This artist’s book investigates memory, loss, and grief. Needlecraft has across history and cultures, been an act of healing, resilience, and activism. By carefully examining memories of his impact on me, the texts bring up disability, identity, masculinity, and belonging. The book also takes a personal and challenging look at living with ableism in contemporary society.
The project consists of a collection of 19 embroideries and 22 texts written in English by Anette Lundebye.
Specifications
Casebound, hardcover book
Bound in book cloth with foil-blocked text
130 x 190 mm
248 pages
38 full colour images
Printed on mat high-quality paper
Language: English
Limited edition of 500 copies
Each copy is numbered
This self-published artist’s book was produced in Norway in August 2023, with big thanks to everyone who generously purchased the book in the pre-sales campaign alongside initial support from Arts Council Norway. You can purchase the book below and it is available for immediate shipping worldwide. The book is also becoming available at selected bookstores and specialist retailers. If you would like to sell this book, please drop us a line.
Purchase a signed & numbered book
- Receive special updates on the book's progress
- Invitation to the book launch in London
Purchase a signed & numbered book
- Get a Giclee print of Alex’s drawing of his hands (size A3 - Limited edition of 30)
- Receive special updates on the book’s progress
- Invitation to the book launch in London
Shipping included
About the print: Alexander drafted the outlines of his own hands with measurements for the purpose of having a pair of knitted mittens made to measure. The drawing is digitally printed on heavyweight high-quality paper (Giclee print).
Pre-purchase a signed & numbered book
- Have your name printed in the Book
- Get a Giclee print of Alex’s drawing of his hands (size A3 - Limited edition of 30)
- Get an original embroidery* by Anette Lundebye on Shirt fabric of Alex (20 x 20cm - limited edition of 5 mounted on an embroidery hoop ø15cm )
- Receive special updates on the book’s progress
- Invitation to the book launch in Oslo / London
Shipping included
*About the embroidery: Alexander had a vice, ‘snus.’ This limited edition of 5 embroideries of a box of snus is all unique pieces as they are stitched by hand using cotton thread on different colored cotton shirt fabrics that belonged to Alexander.
Making the book
Making an Artist’s book is a labour of love. It brings together art, design and craftsmanship. Many people have contributed to the process, in a collaborative effort; from initial conversations to developing the material, editing and designing all the way to producing a high-quality portable artwork that will offer a tactile experience to a broader public.
Publishing an Artist’s book is an expensive thing to do, however I believe it is worth the effort as it gives more control of the whole process. It was printed by a local Norwegian printer to enable us to work closely with each stage of the production of the book to achieve exceptional high quality, something that would be difficult to control when going through the route of a publishing house. In addition, the chosen printer takes sustainability seriously, treating people and planet in a respectful way throughout the whole production process.
The project received initial support by Arts Council Norway, as well as generous support from the pre-sales campaign that was launched for family, friends and the wider community to raise funds to cover the costs of printing and binding the book. A first celebratory book launch was held 31st of August in Oslo, and a second one was held 14th November in London. You can read more about the process and events on the blog page and consider signing up to the newsletter for occasional news about events around the book.
Editorial team
Author: Anette Lundebye
Design: Povilas Utovka
Concept Interlocutor: Yane Calovski
Editor: Janet Steen
Photography: John Englefield
Retouching: Katy Sims
Web: Jess Mae
Printer: ETN Grafisk
Binding: Bokbinderiet Johnsen
Published by: Lundebye Press, 2023
ISBN: 978-1-3999-5791-5
Supported by Arts Council Norway
Reviews
“Anette is inviting the world to see, through her eyes and her hands. This book is a book and more; it is an artist’s book. Never intended as a high-volume product for a mass market, it is instead a space that a small number of us is invited to share. Its physical qualities and the experience of holding and handling it create a connection with the properties of a book that – while always able to be social – is in this case individual and personal; it has been made with you in mind. Artist’s publishing offers space differently, it holds space differently, it plays with time differently, and why Anette has made Super Special Normal for us, is to create a legacy differently; and that is the long-lasting impact of Alexander’s life on Anette’s.”
Tracy Mackenna, RSA. Artist, educator, and Professor Emerita, and co-founder of The Museum of Loss and Renewal.
“Thank you so much for sharing Super Special Normal with me. It's been my morning read this week - a wonderfully poignant start to the day. I really liked the way you used second person as well. The direct address allowed the reader to be part of the story, to take the part of your brother even, so that we feel true empathy with him (rather than mere sympathy which, as your excellent storytelling shows, he clearly had little time for). It was a profoundly moving reading experience, but very uplifting too. Of a life well lived. The writing was reflected in the images, the tactile sense of the material - I could almost feel the stitches on the cloth. Congratulations in creating such a beautiful piece of work.”
Jake Arnott, British novelist and dramatist, author of The Long Firm (1999) and six other novels.
About the author
Anette Lundebye is an artist. Born in Norway she has lived, studied, and worked internationally in Singapore, Oslo, Paris, Dijon, and now lives in London. She has a multifaceted and inter-disciplinary background spanning visual arts, textile design, metadesign research, sustainability education, and coaching.
Her artistic practice spans drawing, embroidery, photography, and writing. Memory is a recurring theme in her creative practice as a means to examine and process multidirectional aspects of time concerning people and place and the fragile balance of our worlds: personal, collective and ecological. She has presented her work as artist, and metadesigner internationally since 1996, independently and in collaboration with others.
About Lundebye Press
Lundebye Press founded by Anette Lundebye in 2023 is an artist-run press that publishes books as artistic practice exploring the intersection of visual language and literary expression with a focus on memory. Super Special Normal is the first publication.
Photo: Ty Lou