BABE and other stories

In the usual style, a round up of activities and events from the last couple of months.

The Artist's Bookmarket at the Fruitmarket Gallery in Edinburgh was great, we met up with some lovely people, old friends and new.  It was small enough to have a good look around and talk to artists about their work, but with enough readings and events that there was a steady flow of visitors throughout the 2 days.  I think next time I would allow a bit more time for travel and mooching about as the 5am start didn't really start us on the right foot, though a large bowl of porridge each morning definitely helped get us back on track!

After that, in April, it was the big one, BABE at the Arnolfini, Bristol.  It never fails to amaze me that you can fill a 3 storey gallery with artist's book-makers and there will still be people missing, just shows how many of us there are if you look in the right places. Tom made this great timelapse film to capture it all in 2 minutes: https://vimeo.com/124769276

I took the clocking in machine, along with a set of clock-in cards that I letterpress printed with 4 designs, as I wanted an 'action' for people to take part in as part of their book experience.  It raised lots of interest, some surprise that it was operational, and some hard decisions for those who liked their printed cards untouched, but also wanted to take part.

BABE was swiftly followed by World Book Night with the project this year based on Stephen King's The Shining.  I wasn't present for the event and resulting film, only contributing a tiny model to the film available here, but didn't they do a great job?

Coupon book

With only a week to go until the Artists' Bookmarket at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh, I've managed to squeeze in another tiny book - an easy one to fit in the hand baggage thankfully.

Coupon book

Pamphlet bound 2 page book with original ticket covers and rubber stamp printing

52 x 30mm

edition of 20

£4

Next leg

First books of 2015 completed, the England leg of the Grand Tour series I've been putting together.  In contrast to the previous France and Germany editions, the tickets used for the covers of these are some London transport ones from the 1960's.  This was because I wanted some that had come to me from someone else's collection, as the others had, rather than collecting any deliberately.  The size and used quality of them works well with the torn paper pages inside.  I really like that each of these books is unique as the text and image combinations vary and cannot be repeated.

So the set so far looks like this, only Italy to add if the chance arises (ie I get any tickets!).

As before, I'll keep one copy and give one to the person who donated the tickets, so that leaves 3 to take to my next book fair, Artists' Bookmarket at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh 21-22 February.

Venturing out

A quick catch up on the end of 2014 before launching into new year activities:

From the series that I was working on, Grand Tour - France is now in the collections at Winchester School of Art library and University of the West of England library.

And, as a result of having some of my small books on the Impact Press table at Small Publisher's Fair in  London in November, some were selected for the collection at Yale Center for British Art.

They are: Ghost Train (2nd edition, Industrial) , A Series of Small Admissions, A Second Series of Small Admissions.