Shane Sakata

Artist Book: In The Beginning

In the beginning…the earth was void and without form

These are the words that Leslie Gleim wrote for the artist book that we collaborated on for her first solo exhibit on Hawaiʻi Island. It was such a joy and honor to work with Leslie and her magnificent aerial images in the creation of this limited edition handmade accordion book.

Featuring seven images from her exhibit, the eight panel accordion book was constructed from museum grade mounting board and is hinged with archival bookcloth. The split cover features a metaphoric lava river and the book rests in a custom tray and comes wrapped in a 100% cotton cloth.

The pages can be turned for a traditional viewing experience or when extended the book becomes a portable exhibit and viewers witness the regenerative power of the land from one side and the dramatic beauty of the molten lava from the opposite side. The book represents an amazing duality that is one of the hallmarks of Leslieʻs photographic work.

Creating this handmade artist book was a dream come true for me and is a really big milestone on my fledgling bookmaking journey. I will be forever grateful for this opportunity and the faith that Leslie placed in me to present this body of work in book form for the first time.

I was blessed to be able to join Leslie at the opening In the Beginning… on Hawaiʻi Island recently and it was an awe inspiring experience to see her gorgeous prints on the walls and our artist book prominently displayed in the Suli T. Go Gallerie at Kahilu Theater.