Notebook Collaborations—a project through Matthew Austin’s publishing studio —are unique journals designed in partnership with artists to embody their creative practice.
In the first iteration of this project, Chicago-based artist worked with Austin to create L’Osservatore, a sketchbook in three sections: the first for contemplative writing, the second for watercolor painting, and the third for drawing. Each 9" x 8.5" book includes two marker ribbons to keep track of thoughts and sketches in progress. This project finds its place within Contro’s enduring exploration of the formal and conceptual qualities of a book: a space where ideas take shape. In L’Osservatore, Contro shares that space with the sketchbook’s recipient, extending her long history of collaborative practice.
Notebook Collaborations #1: L’Osservatore is available in a limited edition of 35 handmade copies, each featuring one of Contro’s three small prints—One Cloud, Art Forms, or Volcano—on the cover.
Book Dimensions: 9” x 8.5”
Page Count: 38 pages total (24 pages of lined paper, 4 pages of 100% cotton watercolor paper, 10 pages of dot graph paper)
