Altered Books
Altered books are old books which are upcycled to create new objects, to show a new meaning to the book they are created from. First rule of altering a book, look it up on abebooks to make sure your not about to destroy a value book! Most of these pieces are for sale. If you are interested in buying one then please email me via the contact page.
Bristol Festival of Literature
I have been involved in the Bristol Festival of Literature since 2013 in one way or another, from an event host to a committee member. 2018 was the best yet, but I'm sure 2019 will surpass it. I sculpted a book out of some leftover fliers to mark the end of another well read Bristol Festival of Literature. Not for sale.
The Natural History of Animals
This piece was composed from an old encyclopedia I acquired at some point or other. Finding books with good images suitable for carving is become a challenge in the UK these days. This one explores the depth and variety of the animals on our planet. £50 unframed.
Early Victorian Novelists
This was an experiment with cut-up poetry. I selected a page from the middle of this book, cut out the words and let them find their own order. The cut-up technique was used a lot by the Dadaists in the 1920s and then some of the Beat poets in the 1950s. I'm pleased with the effect, an art form I need to explore more when I have the time. £40 framed
The Mentality of Apes
Or "The F***ing Monkeys That Started This S*** Storm". The apes in question are Jacob Rees-Moggs, Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage for getting the UK into the mess it currently is, and now they are laughing. £50 framed
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Worship
This was my second experiment with altered books. I got the book for free from a second hand bookshop which had closed down. I didn't read book, it looked a bit boring, but there seemed an obvious metaphor to me. Not for sale
Gravity
My first experiment with altered books. Maybe a bit obvious, but still quite tricky to cut. PVA at the ready. £50 framed
School Mathematics
Made from one of my dad's old school books found while clearing my grandparents house. £30 unframed
The Origin of The Earth
Those old Pelican Books lend themselves so well to altering. The first time I've also used paint in an altered book. I kind of like it. £50 framed
It's All an Act
To be fair, in researching this I didn't actually read The Imitation of Christ, but from the blur on Wikipedia I understand it is all about how to live your life like Jesus. Imitation seems like a strange word, almost just pretending, as a lot of people do. The two faces are of course the symbol for the theatre or acting. £50 framed
Magnetic Fields
This is an old book on electromagnetism. Everyone remembers at school putting a magnet underneath a sheet of paper and sprinkling iron files on to. You get a similar pattern to this. Trying to sculpt books in a slightly different way. Not for sale
Sweden 1963
My parents and I love going to charity shops when in Sweden. At one I found a shelf full of Swedish Year Books from the 50s up to the 80s. Full of pictures they're ripe for a bit of cutting. This is the 1963 year book. Sold 2019
The D.A. Breaks an Egg
Sometimes the title of a book is all the inspiration you need. Again, a book I've not read, because to be honest it looked awful, but with a lot of PVA glue and a few scalpel blades is now on proud display in my home. Not for sale
Mr Norris Changes Trains
Christopher Isherwood is probably best known for A Single Man, but he wrote many more stories. The Mr Norris character in this one is on the run from the authorities. Is he a spy, or isn't he? The people in this work are cut from various old children's annuals that I've collected over the years, mainly from the 50s and 60s, so not quite 1935 when this novel was written. £50 framed
Sons of God
Sons of God is a book by an author I had not previously heard about. It is set during those good old colonial days, and what better represents the colonies than the pith hat. And of course every gentleman of that ear would have a luxurious moustache and wear a monocle. Somethings just write themselves. £50 framed
Five Children and It
I remember watching the early 1991 BBC adaptation of Five Children and It, an iconic children's story - apparently. Everyone of my generation or younger has been terrorised by the 1990 TV miniseries of Stephen King's It. A new adaptation of the latter has just come out - I don't think it adds to the original. These two stories, so different, yet produced a year apart are the perfect pairing. £50 framed
John Citizen and The Law
The law and our interpretation of it has changed a lot since this book was published in 1947. I wanted to show the contrast between the law which is set to protect us and how it sometimes doesn't. £50 framed
The Psychology of Sex
This book was published in 1949, a time when homosexuality was outlawed in Britain. In the last 60 years, sexuality has evolved greatly allowing people to express themselves more. In 1996 I first came across the term LGB. This is continually evolving as we find more ways to identify ourselves. £50 framed
