Bookmaking (without a horse in sight)

Hoxton is a very trendy place, if you're an arty type. It is home to the White Cube Gallery (much beloved of Brit artists like Damien Hirst and Tracey Emin). In fact, Monica and I had a quick look round after the event which really brought us to the area - a Jessie Chorley Workshop on bookmaking from found and recycled materials.

Sound familiar? Yes, there was a certain degree of panic whilst trying to come up with an idea for a narrative which was supposed to inspire our work. When I first suggested using shopping lists, it was rather tongue in cheek. But then the idea began to grow on me. Because there really isn't a much more succinct way of summing up the domestic life of a family.

And when rummaging unearthed a battered copy of a household manual from the 1950's, the subject matter of my project was sealed.

The workshop was very easy going. Jessie had brought some of her work along to show us, and she was happy to explain how she had achieved certain effects, but basically, we cut and pasted and stitched to our hearts content.

There is something scarily liberating about butchering a book ( or perhaps that reveals a deep seated character flaw...). I had also spent the week beforehand, squirreling away any interesting snippets of paper which crossed my path.

But my favourite find has to be the slip of  paper left by the book's original owner - her weekend menu plan.

Cutting secret boxes into the pages.

Hamming (or should that be beefing) up the butchery section.

The book isn't finished yet, but I haven't enjoyed the process as much in a long time.

Comments

[monica]

girl! what time did you get up this morning!!!

your book is great... but what did your husband make of that?

[Gemma]

How fab is that! There are no words, but that is really something I think I need to think about doing! If I can only get my head around the desecration of the book!

[Anna]

I couldn't believe this when I read it. I used to live next door to Jessie and, in fact, still live next door to her mum!

[Joanne]

It looks great, Ali. I'm glad you went for the lists theme, especially since you found a list in the book you chose to use. Seeing that other woman's list really brings home the life you can extrapolate from just a few words.

[simone]

I love the secret boxes cut into the pages. I don't know if I would be able to do it though as I had always been brought up to respect books and not deface them in any way! I still remember my dad showing me the proper way to hold a book and how to turn the pages! I still secretly want to butcher a book though!!!!

[janet clare]

Love that project. I've been wanting to make a family cookbook for a while now- you know all our favourite recipes. And that butchering an old book idea would be perfect!

If I ask really nicely, can I gatecrash your next blogging day out too? I can get to London in 45 minutes and will be no trouble at all!

[joanna]

it seems to me that you have been having far too much fun. cutting away at a book is probably good fun because it feels so naughty!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[June]

What a creative project! I do agree about the scariness of cutting into a book but the results are certainly amazing. It seems a bit like turning the pages (or sections, I guess) of such a book would offer surprising and fun treasures to discover. I love it!

[dottycookie]

It looks just as lovely in photos as in real life.

We once saw an exhibition by Tom Phillips with pages from a book he had created out of an old book by colouring and painting out most of the words on each page leaving behind a sentence or two made from the few words left unobscured. It's called A Humument and we have a copy that I must go and dig out again! Google tells me you can see some of it online at www.humument.com

[lazylol]

Wow that is something I haven't seen before. I love the idea, especially the little secret boxes.

[Sharon]

Wow! That looks fantastic! Have you seen the work of Betty Pepper? I think you might find it inspiring, it's jewellery set into old books. (That description doesn't actually do her work justice!)

[Gina]

Sounds like the creative juices are flowing and you have a great start on the book. I'm with you on finding little bits left by the previous owner. I once bought an old book from the early 1800's at a yard sale for about a dollar. When I got home and was flipping through it I found a newspaper clipping, a small paper doll cut-out and a press 4-leave clover. I have to admit, I almost felt like I was looking inside somes diary without permission but I felt I had found a treasure.

[Lesley]

I love finding old snippets of other people's lives. The workshop sounds great and I love the book you are making!

xxx

[thimbleina]

Sorry meant to reply to your comment that you left on my blog but inadvertantly deleted the email I got. Thanks though for leaving the comment xx

[Megan]

Fantastic. That looks like enormous fun.

[ruth]

What a fabulous workshop/project! It must have been daunting ripping at book,I do love the cut out inside.

[julie]

Wow! You have been really busy recently what with knitting masterclasses and creative workshops. The book looks fab - there's something a wee bit naughty about taking a pair of scissors to a book although most of us probably did it as children. Maybe that's why your project looks so much fun - re-capturing a bit of that un-inhibited creativity of childhood.

[Hay]

I so want to make an altered book/journal, I just need to find the right topic/book. Thanks for the inspiration.

[Helen]

The workshop sounds wonderful! I really love your treatment of the butchery section, and the idea of the little secret pocket.

[sarah]

Your book looks great, and it often seems that the ideas that jump straight to mind are the best (like the shopping lists), its sticking to them when they might seem silly thats the hard bit, but its worth it :)

I love finding random things in books, so intriguing... I often pop things in books with the hope I'll forget all about it and discover a little bit of my present self sometime in the future...