Ephesia Grammata
Ephesia Grammata, or the Book of Spells, by J. L. Nash is a handmade, vellum-paged,
handstitched book. It contains handwritten calligraphy, original texts and
original illustration. It is leather and copper bound. It contains modern
English and an amalgamation language developed specifically for this project
that hails from Anglo-Saxon, Middle English, Greek, Latin and the imagination
of the artist. The language has structure, form and tenses. Its syntax conveys
the energy and magic of meaning, translated through the Modern English
calligraphy on overleafs within the handmade book. In a time when language is
ever changing and developing, this installation infuses old words with ancient
human desires and needs through the spells of the incantations as heard on the
soundtrack which accompanies it. The book is illustrated by Predrag Pajdic. (Predrag Pajdic)
Production and organisation: City of Women; In
collaboration with: Škuc Gallery.