Cover Image © Rachelle Bussières
Big Bad Bettie Press is rooted in the value of the tangible and believes that artists and innovators need to be part of the batter, not just the icing. We make books, art objects, and promote ideas that are bold, brassy, and creative. Rabbit Rabbitis one of those ideas.
© Ileana Tejada
© Özlem Ayse Özgür
"I told myself I was thankful for every moment I was allowed to stand over that copier. Not only was I serving the greater good, but I was atoning for the two years I spent mastering a fine art." - T. Rios, from her essay The Black & The White
The first 200 collectors will also receive a hand crafted letter press postcard by Black Dog Press. Illustration sourced from BBB's archive circa 1940.
WHO & WHAT
The founder of BBB Press and many of our advisors and editors are recent graduates. Faced with the scary question of "Now what?", we were inspired by the bold, brassy, and creative Big Bad Bettie and startedRabbit Rabbit, an annual curated journal of artists and innovators. The phrase "rabbit rabbit" is a bizarre superstition spoken on the first day of each month for good luck. The history of the phrase is vague and dotted, as many superstitions are, but to us it represents clean slates and new beginnings. (Read more about BBB and our team.)
Each issue, we pick a theme and bring you a variety of stories on that theme. For our first issue, we were curious about the transition from higher education to the "real world". We invited recent graduates with Masters and PhDs in a variety of fields to interpret, express, and comment on TRANSITION. The result is a carefully curated book of artworks, images, and writings from graduates all navigating the next stage of their worlds.
Intended as a portable exhibition, at 5.5" x 8.5" Rabbit Rabbit is the perfect size to read on the go, pop in your bag, or curl up with on a Sunday afternoon. It's a great read for anyone experiencing a transition, especially those recent graduates out there. We think it's pretty inspiring and we hope you do to.
SNEAK PEAK
OF WHAT'S INSIDE
THE FIRST ISSUE!
ILEANA TEJADA is a Mexican-American artist born and raised in Southern California. A former NCAA Division II Track and Field Athlete, Ileana's work focuses on the topics of female-masculinity and gender conformity. Presenting herself as a subject, Ileana renders performances that question the normative rules of power into large-scale charcoal drawings.
ÖZLEM AYSE ÖZGÜR was born in Istanbul and lives and works in both Istanbul and Tucson, AZ. She was inspired to create new work for this issue based on her experience of transition. Özlem received her MA in Philosophy from Stanford University and her MFA from San Francisco Art Institute. Her work as a scholar and artist is concerned with cross-cultural understanding and the belief that visual art is a compelling way to deliver ideas and change society for the better.
T. RIOS is a graduate of the School of the Art Institute of Chicago and a public-transit enthusiast. In her witty and sarcastic essay, Rios reflects back on her time spent in AmeriCorps making photo copies, helping people, and accumulating life experience.
Pre-Order RR 01 TRANSITION for a special price!