Ann Kalmbach & Tatana Kellner, “The Golden Rule”

Jan 1

Artist Statement

Ann Kalmbach and Tatana Kellner collaborate as KaKeArt in producing artists’ books. We have authored 15 artists’ books as well as other print related projects. We have used the book form to explore political, economic and social issues in a humorous and poignant way. As a rule we want our work to draw attention to the absurdities, irrelevance, and garbled language that passes as public dialog. We work completely collaboratively. In each of our pieces, form and content are debated, points of view are argued and negotiated, until new work emerges.

Our latest book, The Golden Rule looks at 13 basic tenets phases used by different religions as their ‘golden rule’. Upon opening the book, the reader is confronted with a blind embossing of the text in one of the original languages, followed by handwritten, slowly dissolving translation. Only after leafing through to the next page is one able to read the dictum.

Each ‘golden rule’ is contrasted with newspaper clippings of petty crime and punishment.