Book 26   Books about Books Vels, E and Penn, C. (2009) (Fig. 24)  Books about Books.  Unique collaborative artist’s book.  4 bookworks which comprise one book.  Various papers, including handmade paper, various bindings including pamphlet stitch and accordion binding.  Text, drawing, painting, sewing, collage  and  digital text.  Book 26. Collection:  Elizabeth Vels.

I received the following letter from Vels (2009) which explains the concept of this book: Cheryl’s chosen title and format for our collaboration immediately triggered my passion for the history of THE BOOK and the bookmaking processes.  My platter of books using Cheryl’s material/correspondence allude to this history and the book without the use of traditional binding techniques or content.  I have tongue-in-cheek, engaged with Cheryl’s altered book discourse by arranging my 4 small “books” on a base made of sundry pieces left from Cheryl’s and my correspondence.

This is also supported and interspersed with selected pages from Ernest Hemmingway’s “TRUE AT FIRST LIGHT” which I found at a pavement book sale.  The title resonated with our project figuratively, metaphorically and ironically.  Another plus factor was the strong cream paper bearing the printed text.  I thank Cheryl for catapulting me into the 21st century through her material for my book, ie. white and transparent acidic papers, typed text, machine stitching, synthetic cotton and computer correspondence.

How to reconcile this with ancient record keeping artifacts that plot the history of the book? That is: inscribed chards, stones, bones, papyri, scrolls, codices, medieval illuminated manuscripts, journals, most of which can only be “read” non-verbally, their story in surface, mark, pattern, paint or picture.  This was an enormous challenge.  I altered  Cheryl’s pages, reinforcing them with thin rag paper, then stained, tore, confused and abused her text. My books, with the possible exception of the scroll, are robust, intended to be handled and read.