Couldn’t let World Book Day pass by without some words. World Book Day’s a bit of a double edged sword for me as it brings horror as well as joy. Joy that books are given their own celebratory day and horror that I’ll have to help my daughter come up with a World Book Day costume for school! The costume isn’t needed till tomorrow so time for other things first… I’d like to focus on the enrichment that books have brought to my life. I’m an avid reader and always have been. Its not just the content of the books, the stories and the knowledge, but I love books as objects in their own right. I feel most at home in a room full of books!
One of my first automata featured a pile of old books. At the time I made it (2013) I was teaching on the craft element of the Foundation Course at Falmouth University (sadly no longer in existence - but that’s another story). I also worked closely with dyslexic students and had a keen interest in visual thinking as a learning model. As a staff we were invited to make a piece of work that would represent our work at the university so I came up with an automata as a self portrait. As you can see it features me having a good old think whilst sitting on a pile of books with copper and brass representations of thoughts spinning round my head. It felt like sacrilege when I drilled down through the books to transform them into a base but it was worth it to get the aesthetic I was after. The drilling allowed me to pass a tube of brass through the books so I could construct a solid base keeping everything together and creating a sound foundation for the automata. I have since made other versions of this piece, most notably one that featured an old Olivetti typewriter ordered as a gift for a Scottish writer. The original one remains on a shelf in my workshop - its not for sale but I have another daydreamy piece that can be bought from my online shop.
I’ve managed to hold on to books from childhood that are too precious to part with. My earliest book memory is of ‘Pookie’ by Ivy L Wallace. The beautiful illustrations of a misfit rabbit are etched into my memory and this particular page showing Pookie lost in the storm remains an abiding image of drama and fear. What a fabulous illustration of a tree caught in a storm, I need to revisit this book more often! You’ll be reassured to know that Pookie is rescued and finds shelter with a kind and welcoming fairy. Such a poignant story for our current times. It brings to mind the vital place for books in all our lives. Books can provide respite in difficult times and offer children specifically a much needed window into other worlds. My thoughts are with all those children that need such solace in their lives.