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I am an artist and curator organising a touring book arts exhibition around the UK. “Micro-Pages” is a project that aims to start a conversation about the issues surrounding the display of artists’ books; the project will culminate in an exhibition that will tour libraries and archive centres in the UK. This will enable a large audience to participate in the exhibition and will help to combine people’s library and archive experiences with contemporary art, specifically the artists’ book form, promoting art archives and libraries to a wider audience.
The book works made by the selected artists involved will relate to the history of artists’ books, and/or history of libraries and archives; and will question, challenge or highlight the issues involved in displaying artists’ books. These book works will then be processed by UK Archiving into a reel of 35mm microfilm. I understand that you have a 35mm microfilm reader that you use for your archive material, I am enquiring about the possibility of having your Archives as one of the venues that this exhibition will tour to. It could be a one off day event or a month long exhibition it would be entirely down to you and how it would fit around your normal timetable. The touring exhibition currently includes Bristol UWE Library and Winchester School of Art Library in Autumn/Winter 2009.
Having worked in a library for almost three years and also being a practising artist using the book form, I wanted to explore issues that affect libraries and archives as well as the book art world. Books have it in their nature to be handled; they are intimate objects whose feeling, texture, weight and smell are part of their artistic aura. Artists’ books should be experienced differently to paintings and drawings but similarly not treated as throw away ephemera. Glass cases remove the experience of the work, not only are you unable to feel the object but you are unable to see it in its entirety. However, having books out for viewers to freely pick up and leaf through also has its disadvantages; one off books can be easily damaged, accumulative wear and tear can ruin a book which is supposed to be an art object. All these issues have an impact in the book world and are interesting departure points for a book arts exhibition held in a library and archive environment. “Micro-Pages” as an exhibition of books on microfilm will create a dialogue between both points and between the artists, the libraries and the public.
Anyone who is interested in this project please get in touch.
Regards,
Abigail Thomas
Artist & Curator