Thursday 28 October 2010

Altered Books

The Big Draw in October (www.campaignfordrawing.org) just gets better and better. This year, to coincide with the Sparksartist-curated 'Book This Space' exhibition at Buckinghamshire County Museum, we were there drawing 'books in pyramid, tower and flying formations'.
Also, altered books and banners made with local schools are shown here at Oxfam's wonderful bookshop in Thame. The themes were 'A Day in the Life' and 'The Importance of Water', celebrating Oxfam's work in the world and looking at sketchbooks and diaries. Drawing in altered books (damaged books provided by Oxfam, Scrapstore and Lord Williams's School) revealed hidden texts. "House full of books... Inky fingers and all... School each night... Music... Should be a voluptuous treat... Like a deep hot bath..." Lucy. Drawings made with scissors and found materials, then printed as banners, included a version of the quote "A great library contains the diary of the human race", George Dawson 1866.