pages 25-26, “Flame Girl” at the Green Parrot, Key West, FL
pages 27-28, map and pop-up of Fast Buck Freddies, Key West, FL
“Drummer” outside Fast Buck Freddies, Key West, FL
pages, 31-32, with charts and tables showing notable Key West Facts, police briefs
end sheets and plain brown wrapper around Escape 3, by Tom Virgin
Escape 3: Sex, Drugs, and Rock & Roll 11 inches x 15 inches x .5 inc 2008
In this third and final volume of the Escape Series, the artist lands on Duval Street in Key West during a charming festival called Fantasy Fest. It is a cautionary tale with seven maps, seven pop ups, seven prints and accompanying stories from the Key West Citizen’s Police Briefs. Hard to believe, but I assure you, it is all true. I have seen it.
Book block is sewn with a kettle stitch using plywood covers wrapped in white denim with a plain brown wrapper. The endsheets are katazome paper. The edition size is 20.
This book is dedicated to a long time friend, Rick Reasin.
green denim covered boards, katazome end sheets, kettle stiched book block
katazome end sheets for Escape 2
title page of Escape 2
contents and opening text in Escape 2
page 3, map showing location of “Tracy and Bahia Honda Bridge”
page 4, “Tracy and Bahia Honda Bridge”
page 6, map showing location of “Key Deer”
text and “Key Deer”, second print in Escape 2
page 10, “Half Bubbles and Big Pine”
pages 11-12, map showing location of “Half Bubbles and Big Pine”
pages 13-14, “Bat House”, text about Bat House
page 15, map showing location of “Bat House”
pages 16-17, “Dolphins” print, Sarah and Brea, text
page 18, map showing location of “Dolphins”
“Imp II”, Charter boat of Captain Victoria Impallomini
pages 21-22
pages 22-23, words, facts and figures about the Florida Keys
colophon, thanks
Escape 2 11 inches x 15 inches x .5 inc 2004
Escape 2 picks up where “escape*… restrictions apply” left off, from the 7 Mile Bridge, headed west, geographically, and from my status as a solo traveler to becoming an honored guest of the native Florida Keys’ residents on my escape. Here I take the highway to places only a native would know, and join friends on, in, or under the waters of the Florida Keys.
The book has seven woodcut prints colorized from the original prints, unryu overleafs, altered charts, and a 1,500 word essay by the artist that speaks to the mysteries of the Keys and their residents. I am joined by a hunter/killer and earth mother in my travels from the 7 Mile Bridge to Key West and the waters off shore.
denim covered wood boards, book block sewn with kettle stitch, 2003
photograph of escape* … restrictions apply, opened and fanned out
detail of katazome paper endsheets
title page, escape*…restrictions apply
contents for “escape*… restrictions apply”
second print in “escape*… restrictions apply”, Big Lobster, Mile Marker number can be used to find image on following map.
page 5 of “escape*… restrictions apply” (text and map showing location of Big Lobster)
third image in “escape*… restrictions apply” Big Conch
text and map of location for Big Conch (by Mile Marker)
fourth image in “escape*… restrictions apply, Big Fish
text and map for location of Big Fish (by Mile Marker)
fifth image in “escape*… restrictions apply”, Big Shark
text and map for location of Big Shark (by Mile Marker)
sixth image in “escape*… restrictions apply, Big Rhino
text and map for location of Big Rhino (by Mile Marker)
seventh image in “escape*… restrictions apply, Big Momma and Baby Dolphin
text and map for location of Big Mama and Baby Dolphin (by Mile Marker)
a statistical look at “escape” and its costs/restrictions
page 17, colophon and thanks
katazome covered end sheets of “escape*… restrictions apply
“escape*… restrictions apply,” 11 inches x 15 inches x .5 inc 2003
This is Tom Virgin’s first artist’s book. It is the first of three books examining the concept of “escape” in the context of a trip from Miami to the Florida Keys. During the course of this journey (escape* part one) the artist views various landmarks that break up the miles between Card Sound Road and the 7-mile Bridge. Also addressed along the way are more metaphorical walls, bridges, and escapes of another nature.
“escape*… restrictions apply” is printed on Arches 88, containing 17 pages. The book block is sewn with a kettle stitch, and glued into blue denim covered wood covers, with Japanese Katazome paper end sheets. The book is 11 inches x 15 inches x .5 inch. Fonts used are arial and Scott Ulrich’s Cheap Signage. Content includes an essay by the artist, seven digitally colored original woodcut prints by the artist, and maps showing the location of the images in the prints by Mile Marker in the Florida Keys. Facts and figures about the Keys follow the essay and prints.
