Is this really happening in my back yard??
I was skimming the upcoming lectures being hosted by the Westport Public Library because they have some great lectures that I sometimes like to attend. After signing up to attend a free lecture on the value of libraries in our society I saw something that made my jaw drop. It is a talk and slideshow presentation on altered books to be given by Douglas Beube on June 13, 2008.
The next thing I saw was that after that talk they are going to have a ‘book grab’ in which lecture attendees can take books in order to transform them into art over the summer. The page mentioned something about “Books Unbound”.
Next up I looked to see what they were talking about ‘Books Unbound’ and it is a fundraiser event that any person, from anywhere can participate with.
Here are quotes from the site to explain:
Books Unbound is a community-wide project to recycle old books into art, which will be exhibited and auctioned in a fund-raiser to benefit the Library on October 3, 2008. This project was inspired by the relatively new, but rapidly growing art form called Altered Books.
What Is an Altered Book?
The International Society of Altered Book Artists (ISABA) explains that an altered book is any book, new or old, recycled by creative means into a work of art. The book can be painted, cut into, burned, added to, re-bound, collaged in, or otherwise adorned…and, yes, it is legal!
How Do I Participate in Books Unbound?
• Everyone, artist and non-artist alike, is invited to join in the fun and be part of Books Unbound.
• You do not need to live in Westport or even in Connecticut.
• Start with an old book (see Book Grab above); then alter it however you like— there are no rules. You’re the artist!
• If you need help getting started, register for the Westport Continuing Education Altered Book Workshop to be held Wednesday, July 16, 23, and 30, 6:30-8:30 pm, and taught by altered book artist Cecilia Marshall. To register, call Westport Continuing Education at 341-1218.
A Magical Recycling Program
It happens over time. A book’s pages rip out and are lost. Its worn binding breaks and tears away. Or its information goes out of date. And little by little a book’s useful life may come to an end—
but it doesn’t have to! The growing art form called Altered Books offers such volumes a new life. Pages can become the canvas for painting or collage. Images can be added from elsewhere. Text might get rearranged to convey a new message. A binding may get reshaped into a lively outline of, say, a tree. In short, one precious art form magically transforms into another—Books Unbound.
The site has links to view some very interesting altered books on the Internet, check it out if you are interested.
If you would like to spread the word about this event feel free to link to my blog post! I would love to see altered book artists from across the country participate in this event. I know there is a large community of altered book artists out there who may not be members of the ISABA.
Technorati Tags: altered books, Books Unbound, altered books project.
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