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December Issue 2004
Charleston
County Public Library in Charleston, SC, Offers Exhibit of Altered
Books
The Charleston County Public Library in downtown Charleston, SC,
will offer the exhibit, Altered Books: A Round Robin by the
Art Teachers of Berkeley County School District. The exhibit
will be on view in the Saul Alexander Foundation Gallery from
Dec. 1 - 30, 2004.
An altered book is a type of artist's book where an existing book
is transformed in some way to create a new work. A bound book
is the surface used to create art by various means, including,
but not limited to, collaging, painting, rubber stamping, tearing,
folding, burning, cutting, sewing, drawing and coloring. The seventeen
books displayed here were started by one art teacher and then
passed, month by month, to other teachers to create a 2-page spread.
Some of the books were created around a theme while others were
done as personal expressions of the artist or done to accent the
original book's story or illustrations.
One of the earliest forms of altering books was called palimpsest.
During the medieval period it was common to reuse vellum and parchment
for economic reasons by either rubbing out, scraping off or otherwise
covering up the original text. Tom Phillips, creator of "A
Humument" is generally credited with being the father of
modern altered books. He purchased "A Human Document"
at a thrift store for pennies and began altering the pages in
1966. Phillips, a British artist painted, typed upon, drew, or
collaged on each page to leave clusters of the original printed
text as new poetry.
Altered book artists utilize materials such as papers, decorative
scissors, punches, rubber stamps, inks, paints, fibers, embellishments,
buttons, chalks, pastels, pens, markers, tissue paper, beads,
charms, fabric. Artists also use old photos or copies of photos
in the books, postage stamps and other ephemera to create their
pages. Virtually any object can be used for altered book pages
or covers. The most fascinating thing about altered books is the
many different ways a medium is and can be used.
A Round Robin is a group of people, referred to as players, who
begin by altering their own book with a specified number of pages.
The book is then sent to the next person in the group to alter
and then along to the next person until the book returns to the
owner with pages altered by all of the players. Each player in
the group alters pages in all of the other player's books. Usually
the Round Robin has a specific theme, with each player interpreting
the theme and setting the tone and rules for their own book by
the book they choose and the pages they alter. Players are given
a specific amount of time to complete their artwork in the books
before sending them to the next player. Most Round Robin books
have a "sign-in page" where the players give a record
of participating in the book. Some sign in pages are as simple
as a line to sign, some have tags to be decorated and signed,
and others have envelopes or little booklets.
A Round Robin is a way to share artwork amongst the players and
these books become treasures. Players in a Round Robin are also
exposed to new techniques, styles and methods, which they may
later incorporate into their own work.
While there has been some debate on the issue of defacing books,
altered books take books that might otherwise be destroyed or
become landfill and give them new life as a piece of art. Textbooks
are used for a specific number of years and then go out of adoption.
They are then boxed up, shipped off and destroyed. Many of these
books would never be used again if they weren't turned into a
surface for altering.
The teachers represented in this show are Meryl Weber, Visual
Arts Coordinator; Karen Virde, Berkeley Middle; Jennifer Johnson,
Berkeley Elementary; Jessica Wade, Bonner Elementary; Lori Williams,
Macedonia Middle; Katie Taie, Bolder Bluff Elementary; Liz Miller,
Marrington Middle; Virginia Smith, Westview Primary; Sarah Bernardi,
Westview Elementary; Robin Boston, Stratford High; Shree Howell,
College Park Middle; John Childs, College Park Elementary; Gerrie
Thompson, Sangaree Elementary; Jody Wilson, Sangaree Intermediate;
Miriam Anderson, Devon Forest Elementary; Peggy Bennett, Howe
Hall Arts Magnet; Betty Barr, Sedgefield Middle; and Missie Stevenson,
Hanahan High.
For further information check our SC Institutional Gallery
listings or call the Library at 843/805-6819.
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