Things change, you know: all set up.

Egidija Ciricaite, Chris Gibson, Wiebke Kowal, Jukhee Kwon, Laura S Turull, Natalie Yiaxi 

NEW GALLERY LONDON

Arts Cafe

pelican house

92 peckham road se15 5py

open mon to saturday 11.00 to 23.00

sunday 11.00 to 22.00

0207 701 1253

info@newgallerylondon.co.uk

MA Book Arts - Camberwell College of Art

NEW GALLERY LONDON

 

Books in Bronze: Friday 13

 Friday 13 must be a good day for burning books!

This was my first attempt at bronze casting and I am pleased - oh, so pleased - with the results: the detail, the colours, the mutilation!

Fired books. A cake.

 

I have recently been experimenting with a different way of firing my books. I am not displeased with the results, I have to say. This one, above,  must the most beautiful fired book I have produced so far.

Experiment continues...

Fired books. Drawing. Miraculous transfiguration.

Drawing with book ash. Miraculous transfiguration: from book to cloud.

Fired books. Jawbone.

Fired books. Birds eye view.

 

 

 

 

One of my books did not shrink in firing - little bugger! It fused flat, forming a beautiful desolate white landscape.

A trace of 1968.

Traces. The Truth of Blacksmith Ignotas

Some of the books have been damaged and I had to remove them from their bases. I was amazed to find those beautiful traces of the books absorbed into the white earthenware: some ash fused into a glaze,  markings of iron (?) in the ink. Mesmerizing.

Compulsive hoarding and letting my artwork go.

I do not let things go easily. I am a hoarder. Our loft and basement are full to the brim. I am running out of space in my studio room too.  I remember reading somewhere an interview with Cornelia Parker. She said she started going suspended sculpture, because that was the only clear space in her house. She is hoarder as well. Susan Hiller is a hoarder too. Not a bad company - see!

Anyway - I do not let things go easily - and that includes my work*. Therefore, it was highly therapeutic for me to spend the private view talking to all those people of very very different arts/non-arts backgrounds, who were interested in my work. It almost felt that the work did not belong to me anymore. It had a life of it's own. And - wow - it was fascinating to watch that life! Many were intrigued/mortified by the fact that I burn books; but they were simultaneously drawn by the beauty of the result. Some were curious about the history and the background of my work. Some were asking about the techniques. Some were taken by the fragility. Many asked about the title. Some thought it was good example of how open-minded book arts are. Some asked about my course, assuming I was a good representation of it (I am not).

I have a few more of those 1968 pieces. Some are damaged, some went wrong. Why do I keep them?

 Here is an article about Song Dong installation and compulsive hoarding.





*Not the certain work from about a year ago, that I passionately want to burn (and keep the ashes of course!)

"1968. Un-titled." is out

Yesterday a took my fired book to the LCC gallery. Everything looked so professional in the big white gallery space! Including my work. It was just standing there. Quietly standing. Just quietly being itself.

Xhibit 2011 and more fired books

My work will be shown at Xhibit 2011 March 02-21.
Unfortunately my submission piece got flattened. (It might be suitable for another occasion) - I am in the process of getting the new one made. There are two more books coming out of the kiln this week. It may seem boring and repetitive, but I get so SO (really - SO!!!) excited each time when Tim opens the kilns.



I promised to myself, to move on with my book firing - after this week. Yehhh, right...