Tuesday, July 17, 2007

Buddha On My Coffee Table


Here's the second example of drawing directly into a book. Paper is a little bit slick, but erases OK. And 600 pages isn't so bad if you do two-page spreads all the time: that drops it to 300 drawings.

This idea offers some intriguing features: textural interest, compact format, literary interest, recycling cachet, iconoclastic pleasure, and the everydayness of just doing a drawing no matter what. A constant reader, this is just one more book-thing I can do.


7 comments:

biteyourowntail said...

Yes I like your re-purposed books - great idea. And great drawings too. I wonder if you've ever come across the Future of the Book site? Sorry can't find the url at the moment - w/out leaving this page, but if you google the name it should come up - all sorts of projects and art with old books.

Laureline said...

I love your photo of Phoenix! It's lovely and a bit mysterious. I admit I'm one of those who would feel bad about drawing on the pages of a book, but I'm sure that comes from the four year old, good little girl still there in my psyche somewhere ;D. It is obviously working for you! Very nice work.

Lin said...

These are absolutely lovely!

Jenny said...

What! Draw in a book?!! Does your mother know what you've done? You handle the colored pencils beautifully, and I like the effect of the printed page for a background.

Margie said...

Working in a library, I've seen far worse things done to books than artistic license. Does anyone remember the scene from the movie "Time Machine" (The old Robert Taylor version) where he is in the world of these slow-minded, passive people and when he opens a curtain, there is a whole row of books that crumble to dust at his touch. Working in a library is a little like that sometimes, with so much being sold or discarded in favor of competing with Borders, or getting the latest electronic bell/whistle. I like to think drawing in a book is sort of reverent in a way. (Does anybody buy that?)

biteyourowntail said...

Well if that book would just end up pulped otherwise, then yes, reverence it could be.

IRT archival collage materials - sorry no idea - I'm of the use whatever comes to hand regardless school of creativity. Also my ultimate aim is illustration - work for reproduction so it's not of great concern to me. But it's also worth knowing that many artists such as Ernst, Peter Blak and Max Schwitters have all used 'rubbish' as collage materials and their work is now in museums - the degeneration of some of the papers has become part of the integrity of the work. Back with a link or two in a moment.

biteyourowntail said...

http://www.yellowbellywebdesign.com/hoch/gallery.html
This is a link to info about Hannah Hoch, another Dadaist and collage maker - she used magazine images to create photo montages.

http://www.artchive.com/artchive/S/schwitters.html

and this is one to Schwitters.

As you've possibly guessed - these two are among my many favourites.

And Peter Blak should of course be Peter Blake...

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