THE GOVERNOR’S GALLERY
Album Amicorum - Gems of Friendship
June 6 – August 31, 2008
The Governor’s Gallery is pleased to be presenting Album Amicorum: Gems of Friendship an exhibition of marbled and decorated paper inspired by the album amicorum. Latin for “friendship book,” the album amicorum dates to the sixteenth century and is the predecessor of the modern autograph book. These special albums are composed of papers, writing and drawings collected by scholars from colleagues encountered in their travels.
Inspired by this antiquarian tradition, master papermaker and marbler Tom Leech invited an artist colleague in Turkey to participate in an exhibition. This invitation was then passed between artists, each inviting another from across an international border. Leech’s re-contectualization of the album amicorum grew from his initial invitation into this unique exhibition of marbled and decorated papers from twenty one artists living and working in Europe, Asia, Australia, and South and North America. In addition to the examples of exquisite contemporary paper by these artists the exhibition will also include historic marbled papers from the collection of the Palace of the Governors.
Curator Tom Leech is a master papermaker, marbler and director of The Press at the Palace of the Governors.
