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Pop-up Artist Spotlight: Martha Carothers
By Ed Okonowicz
Martha Carothers holds one of her works of book art, while the pop-up of the Brooklyn Bridge from Brooklyn Pops Up! is displayed to her left.
For centuries, books have caught the attention of collectors. Academic libraries keep special volumes in climate-controlled areas and public libraries guard their treasured works in locked cabinets.
It's not surprising that these sought-after objects range from centuries-old, rare leather-bound, autographed works to pulp fiction softcovers issued in the early 20th century. Fewer people, however, realize that pop-up books--those containing intricate, movable pieces of specially designed paper and often associated with children's literature - command high interest among book and artwork collectors. But, pop-up books also have secured a special niche among scholars, artists and writers.
As a result of her master of fine arts' thesis and several book art projects, book artist and UD art department chairperson Martha Carothers is recognized as an expert in the area of pop-up books. Her original bookworks are included in the collections of the Museum of Modern Art, the Library of Congress and the Ruth & Marvin Sackner Archive of Concrete & Visual Poetry, and she has exhibited her work nationally and internationally.
Her research and creative artworks, as well as her membership and active participation in the Movable Book Society, resulted in her being asked to write a brief history of pop-up books for Brooklyn Pops Up! This 16-page book, with a Maurice Sendak movable illustration on the cover, contains eight pop-up spreads created by 11 illustrators and paper engineers.
The work was developed and released to coincide with the exhibition "Brooklyn Pops Up! The History and Art of the Movable Book," which was on view at the Brooklyn Central Library and neighborhood libraries throughout 2000 and 2001.
Included in each of the four separate special editions of Brooklyn Pops Up! is Carothers' 18-page history of the art, which, she points out, has been developing for 800 years.
Mentioning that most books are presented in a two-dimensional style, Carothers noted that "...a small number of scientists, storytellers, artists and paper engineers (artists who created three-dimensional and movable illustrations) have added a third dimension and movement to demonstrate their scientific and artistic ideas. These bookmakers enhance the reader's understanding and enjoyment by the simple addition of movable paper."
Although pop-up creations have been traditionally associated with entertainment vehicles for children, Carothers' condensed history points out that "the earliest known examples were intended for adults," and examples date to the 13th century. Until the late 18th century, three-dimensional books were intended for educational, religious or moral purposes. It was then that Robert Sayer of London introduced the idea of amusement into children's books.
The author comments on the historical, economic and social events in different countries that contributed to the artistic development, labor intensive manufacturing techniques, publishing considerations and the resulting popularity of pop-up works.
Carothers' pamphlet also includes a list of the more than 100 books featured in the exhibition, including Carothers' artist's book, Inner Room, which features pop-ups. All are from private and library collections, with the oldest dating to the 1500s and the newest manufactured in the late 1990s. Their subject matter ranges from the Wild West and airplanes to folklore, astronomy, the alphabet and science.
Carothers mentioned that the exhibition, which was timed to coincide with the release of the book, was developed to demonstrate a number of issues, including the pop-up field's little-known history, its commercial impact and the high level of artistic interest and involvement it commands.
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"I wrote a history," Carothers said, "that was not too in depth that it would lose people, but one that had enough detail to show how these books are produced, how they are made and printed and the special features of dimensional books. Other than focusing on strictly the commercial aspects, I wanted to approach the presentation from an artist's perspective."
She admitted that her response to the project was enthusiastically positive.
"I jumped on it," Carothers said, "partly because writing the history was, for me, coming full circle 20 years after my thesis. Also, I saw this as an opportunity to be involved in a project to help inform the public and help raise the level of appreciation of pop-up art. I'd been fascinated with them every since I was given my first pop-up book as a child.
"I think that it was important to make the presentation concise. I also think it was important not just to present a chronology of its publishing history, but to help readers understand its place in the culture of the world and the role these books may have played in people's lives."
The presence of more affordable production methods has increased the availability of pop-up books, Carothers added. In the next 10 years, she said she sees cheaper costs and faster production moving pop-up art beyond books and into other product areas.
In today's era when a wide range of products are developed to reinforce a movie, TV show or segment of popular culture, pop-up art sometimes becomes a player in one area within an overall advertising campaign. She used the movie Star Wars as an example. Products related to that movie have ranged from lunchboxes to clothing, from videos to pop-up books.
This creative three-dimensional process that has existed for centuries continues to find new applications and new audiences. Today, it involves a wide range of product categories ranging from mass printed children's books to hand-produced, limited-edition works of art created by academically trained and research-oriented book artists.
As Carothers writes in Brooklyn Pops Up!, "The three-dimensional quality of the pop-up itself still entrances book lovers hundreds of years after its introduction. Pick up a pop-up book and you hold in your hands 800 years of pop-up history in which the vision of artists has brought three-dimensional life to the flat surface of the book!"
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