Books and Writings, 1976-1985

Early prints created by Van Horn. In documentation acquired with the collection, she describes her work as follows:

"Almost all of my prints at this time use the method of chine collé which is a way of collaging elements onto a piece of paper at the same time as you are printing it. Since all of my collage elements were found and saved things, every print became a unique object. Hence the term edition varieé again and again. I could use the same plates dozens of times and use the exact same method and color in my inking, but the collage elements changed each time. Occasionally, as in Republic Francaise, I burned paper towels to get an almost identical shape so that I could make a more consistent edition, but even with that, my stamps were different. I used the prints as storage for remembering things.

The pieces, which I grouped here, combine writing and calligraphic form, usually nonsensically, to suggest the written word as form of communication. Letters and books are incorporated.

These things preceded my book works but when the books started, they were essentially already started!"