Book 9 Toxic Bachelors. Penn, C. (2008) (Fig.7).  Toxic Bachelors. Unique altered book. Mixed media,  including collage, altered text, inserted letters, nuts/bolts. 18 cm x 21cm x 17cm.    Book 9. Collection: Cheryl Penn.

This work, begun in March 2008, was  an alteration of a  superficial  novel written in 2006 by Daniel  Steele on the lives of three successful, good looking, blah blah men  who finally through love,  give up their bachelor status.  I researched factual toxic bachelors; rapists, pedophiles, comic  book characters, superheroes and mythological characters.  For example, the devil and super heroes, who by virtue of their written/portrayed/expected character and nature would forever  string women along.  An example of such a bachelor is the comic book character Archie.

He will for the rest of time remain in a state of anxious choice as to who will it be, Betty or Veronica? Superman will never marry Lois because the character is essentially a bachelor. The ‘devil’ is a real toxic bachelor because as long as people think he exists he will lead woman, and men, into the abyss of destruction.  He is really toxic!   The original text of the novel was painted out and  the words appropriate to a more sinister meaning were kept.

For example, on a page dealing with Alegre Patrice, the sadistic, deluded Frenchman who was convicted of 115 murder/rapes,  the words left from the original text (Steele, 2006:211) read  …an unforgettable night…  looking for the same thing he was… and for one night at least she had gotten everything she wanted… strangers… it was one way to pass the time…  Her body had been every better with her clothes off…

Inserted into this altered book are letters I have collected from various woman  who have written to  the men in their lives who have proved to be very toxic.  The artistic appropriation and intervention into, and onto, the pages of this superficial novel  have transformed this popular, cultural artifact into an altered, unique artist’s book.