Kippers & Sawdust

In hospital after an operation, Rigby Graham 'lay tethered and triangulated by drip, drain and catheter'. To escape during those hours before daybreak, in his mind he turned the pages of his sketchbooks and 'lay on headlands looking out to sea; or, lingering by bastion and rampart, drew once again vistas and images which had moved me, at earlier times, almost to tears.'

This means of escape during a time of crisis later formed the basic structure for the book that we had long hoped that Rigby Graham would some time do with The Old Stile Press. We were not disappointed! It was a tremendous amount of work for all concerned but stands as a major testament of this artist's approach to his work and travels, the natural and man-built world and the artistic environment in which he operates. The text is a substantial one in all senses and the double column format allows a large number of line drawings (printed in a second colour) to be seeded through the pages of the large format volume.

The unique feature of the book, however, is the magnificence of the colour woodcuts. Four double page images demanded between four and six blocks each, as did the two endpaper images which are even larger. There are also five single page images printed in three colours to give a glowing 'monochrome' effect. The front board has a line drawing let into it and, finally, even the slipcase has a magnificent woodcut which is no less than 28 inches wide.

Editions & Inscriptions

Copies of the Main Edition are Signed by author / artist.