Interview with Jean Edelstein

Author of My Book of Books

Where are you from originally and where do you reside now?

I am from Manhattan, New York originally. I reside in Venice, CA now.

If you currently reside somewhere besides where you were born, what’s the story that lead from there to here?

At age 20 I was a student at the Art’s Student League in Manhattan. A very fashionable department store in Louisville, Kentucky saw my work samples and offered me a position as an illustrator. So at the age of 20 I had a full time position as an illustrator at the store. After working there a while, I returned to New York, and decided the world was a much larger place that I had to explore. In 1949, at 22 I decided that it would be a good time to leave and continue working as a fashion illustrator in Los Angeles. Once I got here I met my husband Sy, a graphic designer, at the newly formulated Art Director’s club.

What made you decide to write and publish your first book?

I decided to create my first book to coordinate with my retrospective in 2001 at the LA Artcore Center. It is a catalogue of all my work from 1980-2000.

‘My Book of Books’ is my second book published in 2014; within I gathered my art pieces created on these Chinese scholar books. My books are about what I enjoy and the experiences I treasure- music, dance and nature.

I was inspired by both the Chinese landscape in Guilin and the scholar books from China. It lends itself very well to the continuation of a story, whether horizontally or vertically. When traveling, it’s very handy to have them with me. They incorporate Central Park, Huntington Gardens, the Santa Monica Palisades, China, Canada and the UCLA Japanese Gardens. And then there are the ones of the different performances. In terms of the performances, it enables me to work directly when I attend dances and concerts with these particular sketch books. I capture the beginning of a performance to the end- the whole story. These figures sometimes become abstractions.

The books’ format and portability gives me the flow to move freely between subjects. I don’t feel confined to completing one portfolio series before moving on to the next… my work is a continuum.

Now you can see how one thing leads to another.

How would you describe your books to first time readers?

I want to share the enthusiasm and joy that I feel in working on my books. They transcend the subject matter; in other words, nature dance and music are all part of what life is about.

Who do you feel is most likely to connect with the topics you write about?

I think that the subjects are so universal that in itself does not limit to a particular group of people.

What unexpected or surprising thing did you learn during the process of writing and publishing?

That it takes a lot of work… I mean not the drawing but… Anytime you are publishing the technical part of it takes an inordinate amount of time.

If you could, what advice would you give to past self yourself before embarking on this journey?

Frankly the work that it takes to publish takes precious time away that I could use to be working creatively on my books. After it is published, it is rewarding and encouraging to know that other people can enjoy and respond to the production. And in a sense it puts you in touch with the world outside of your own little space and share your love of work with people outside your environment.

How many people would you ideally like to reach with your books?

I’ve never thought of it before… visually it’s a creative book and doesn’t limit itself to any particular group of people. Hopefully it reaches everyone!

What has been the biggest challenge and frustration during the process to date?

The distribution of the book has mainly been art circles, when I’m exhibiting my work at the art galleries, the local Venice bookstore, and my studio.

What’s your biggest strengths when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

My strength is creating artwork.

What’s your biggest weakness when it comes to book a) writing, b) publishing and c) marketing?

I am not focused on the distribution aspect of the book.

When do you think you will you write your next book?

I did last year! The ‘Disaster Series’ is a catalogue of 34 paintings that I did in 1995-1997.

“The horrors that motivated the Disaster series in the 1990s are still happening today, only the names and places have changed. The human tragedy continues. Although the imagery may be difficult to absorb, it is important to recognize the ongoing atrocities and show compassion for the millions of people who are suffering around the world. All too often we forget that the disenfranchised or the disadvantaged could be out neighbors, our relatives, or ourselves.”

Are you self published or did you use a hybrid publisher, or a traditional publisher?

I self published with the help of a designer.

And that concludes my publishing career!