1987-1995

Lynne Avadenka.  Understanding.  No. 66 of 75 copies.

Huntington Woods, Michigan: Land Marks Press, 1987–1988.

Simple accordion book, distinctive because it is sewn into its cover and includes pop-up Hebrew letters that spell BEE-NAH (understanding) within the text. Although the Biblical text is Isaiah’s admonishment to the Hebrews that they must be taught like children (e.g., line by line, precept by precept), the artist interprets it to suggest that this is the very way understanding is gained.

Lynne Avadenka.  An Only Kid. [Had gadya.]  No. 12 of 75 copies.

Huntington Woods, Michigan: Land Marks Press, 1990.

For this version of a favorite children’s song from the Haggadah featuring a little goat, the artist used cover paper specially made from rag and goat hair. Supported by the Women’s Studio Workshop (Rosendale, New York), the New York State Council on the Arts, and the National Endowment for the Arts.

Lynne Avadenka.  The Uncommon Perspective of M.E.J. Colter.  No. 12 of 100 copies.

Huntington Woods, Michigan: Land Marks Press, 1992.

The text by Avadenka tells the story of M.E.J. Colter, the woman who designed many of the buildings surrounding the Grand Canyon. The book’s structure and materials echo Colter's Native American-inspired designs and the adobe buildings of the American Southwest. The specially made shaped paper consists of cotton rag, earth from New Mexico, and cooked straw.

Lynne Avadenka.  Without Knowledge There Is No Understanding.  No. 23 of 30 copies.

Huntington Woods, Michigan: Land Marks Press, 1995.

An English translation from the Mishnah of Pirkei Avot with the Hebrew words for “understanding” and “wisdom” interpreted in brush strokes.