- Venue
- Pad Gallery
- Location
This exhibition of artists’ books excited me by the range of styles and structures, and the passion, integrity and quality of the work. The gallery space itself was well used, with some work hung on the wall, some books arranged on high shelves or plinths for untouched viewing, while other books were available for the visitor to handle and read. After I had spent some time in the exhibition, I was struck by the contrast between those books which have a hidden quality, and those which invite exploration.
Initially I was drawn around the room by those books that were beautifully laid out on plinths. This highlighted the structural quality of some of the books, such as ‘The Book That Never Was’, by Patricia Ramsden. This book is an intricately folded work, which curls in on itself, hiding the secret contents. ‘Nice Magazine’ by Angela Presnail also resists exploration. A comment on the content of most magazines, it is a solid piece of glossy wood with stylish drawings on it, but no pages or content though it promises much.
Margaret James-Barber provided several more conceptual books. Her latest work, ‘A Little Light Reading’, is a delicate sewn book of cigarette papers, bearing on each page different definitions of ‘light’ from the Oxford Dictionary.
Other artists questioned the concept of the book as an ordered arrangement of pages, by making collections of items that could be taken out of their tin or box, and put back in again – in any order. These collections, on the themes of war and separation, seem to reflect the workings of memory, and its chance re-ordering.
Some books were made as a way of documenting work in the community, and recording interactions. One of these was Alistair Nicholson’s 7.5 metre accordion-fold collage of words and photographs about a 2-year project in Corporation Park in Blackburn. Another was made by Helen Hicks who worked in a run-down factory area in Preston, triggering responses from people with actions that were almost those of a performance artist. Her delightfully surprising actions are matched by the unexpected structure of her book. When the double garage doors of the book-cover are opened, the 4 pages of photos fold downward. The layering of the words over the photos, so that text and image blend, kept me immersed in this world.
Sabine Stanley was another artist who drew me into her world, particularly by those books with intricate cutout sections. Although the themes of her books are often very simple, the intensity of her focus on her subject matter make them very compelling. Their textural quality mean that these books need to be felt and not just looked at.
I came away knowing that there was much that I had not had time absorb, and intending to go back again.
By Catriona Stamp, book artist, whose work is also included in the exhibition.
book artist
