The Round Robin book

Maddlen, Kathy, Helen, Jodi Webb and now me ... then comes ... well, we shall have to see. At this time, what we can tell you is that the artists who are participating in the round robin (and if you're not signed up and want to do a page or a spread, let me know ASAP) are doing interesting things and having a good time with their alloted space.

The Round Robin book will be a gift to the Pottsville Free Public Library, our partner in this project and many other community endeavors. Of the many things we have learned while there is that the library is so much more than a place to borrow books or check email.

A Democratic Art

Altered art is a democratic art. Anyone can make it. There is no special training required and one does not have to invest a lot of money in its making. In fact, you really don't have to spend a penny. Many of us in this project barter materials. Ah, but that's another story...

Thinking about democracy and commercialism led me to design the suffrage book, which is nearing completion. (Thank God for snow days!)

Initially, I was going to make a spoof palimpsest on the discarded book, which was published in the 1950s and written by a male doctor who purported to know what was wrong with women (why women were so unhappy). I reveled in ripping out many of its pages, let me tell you.

So, thinking about the good doctor's advice, my loathing of the rampant commercialistic promotion of women as objects (a theory many women buy into, which is scary), and recent dispatches on women politicoes and trends in voting led me to re-design my book into a report and helpful resource on suffrage, women in politics and current voting practices, or lack thereof. With a female Speaker of the House (United States Congress) and a female presidential candidate, perhaps things will change on the lack thereof side of the ledger. One can -- and should -- hope. One can and MUST do her part to help other women vote.

This morning, while unsticking my fingers from a runaway page, I came up with a tentative title:

The State of Being unEqual

A Report on the Politics of Being Women

(2007 - Believe it or Not!)

Now before someone accuses me of being sexist and playing the victim card, let me inform you that, in addition to discussing inequality, the book takes women to task for their lack of interest in issues that affect so many vital conditions - from what we earn to what we do with our bodies. It seeks to remind women of the work our predecessors undertook to secure our right to vote, a right, I will add, which too few of today's women use or use wisely.

As I noted previously, this book differs significantly from "April Through August," which is now on display at the Pottsville Free Public Library, which graciously allowed us to take over an entire room to work on our books. "April Through August" is about color, texture and embellishment and it has few words. "The State of Being unEqual" employs color and ephemera, yes, but it is also filled with information and editorializations, including newspaper and magazine articles (wherein I leave the biolines intact in respect for copyright and in hope that readers will pursue additional related materials).

If it sounds like I am having a good time with this, you are right. I am. I also feel like I am doing a little bit toward my part of remembering that not so very long ago, women did not have the rights we have today. Predecessors earned it for us. We need to work to keep it.

Just how long have we been altering books?

Check out this story.

Musings from the January Workshop ...

The amount of creativity and hours of work the participants are putting into their projects is evident. The themes, the colors, the styles vary. Each altered book is a work of art bearing the marks of its creator.

Last evening, during our workshop at the Pottsville Free Public Library, we bartered ribbon, lace, old photographs, news clippings and other ephemera while we worked on our books. In other words, there was a lot of chatter and laughter.

Kathy Connelly is doing a music theme in her book. Her skills with watercolor (Kathy is a painter) are evident in her project as is her willingness to go "beyond the margins" of what is generally thought to be "art." Speaking of art, check out this project that took place in Harrisburg last year.

Helen Mills has a women theme going in her second book. Helen has no problem thinking outside the box and her interdisciplinary projects usually have us in a state of awe.

Madlen Piccioni left me breathless when she unveiled her second book, which has a World War II theme. Talk about creative! Maddie says she is not creative ... she's full of it!

Jodi and Cathy swapped and copied photographs. Jodi has a love story going in her book. We happen to love what she did with what I call "the blue flower" page. Her entire project is a texture lover's dream.

Cherie is doing an African-American narrative. Right from the get-go, the visual story pulls you in. Cherie is thinking along the lines of palimpsest because the book she rescued from the discard pile is a slave story.

Our newest participant, Barbara Shaw, is working a book based on Barack Obama. Barbara says he is a fascinating individual and we're inclined to agree with her.

We want to tell you want Bruce is doing as well. We are excited about his visions for a Celtic theme that employs his skills with stained glass and an incredible story that we dare not divulge at this point.

Me? Well, with "April Through August," my first altered book for this project, completed, I am working on a book about the 19th amendment to the United States Constitution. Oh, and I am using a discarded text from a book wherein a 1950s-era male author describes "what's wrong with women." You might imagine I intend to have a good time with this ...

We're planning a workshop for early February as we have to turn in our projects at the end of that month.

Altered Minds: the things one learns when making altered art

Are you learning anything about YOU while working on your books?

I have learned that I need to let go. I need to let go of "stuff" and "strictures:" stuff like old pages, beer caps, string, torn headlines and frayed fabrics and strictures that come from that beastly critic within, the one who says "THAT is NOT A-R-T."

"April through August" is done. It is a book that looks NOTHING like it did when I rescued it from the discard pile. Every page, every word, every image is re-covered by something I created, by a record of what kind of mood I was in, a record of art technique, a testament to what I have learned about altered art since we launched this awesome project. Looking back, I spent WAY too much time on "April through August." Yet, none of the time was wasted. I would not trade a moment of the time I invested in the book. For every time I make an altered art object, I learn something new about art and about me.

In the workshops, I have repeatedly said "There are no rules in altered art." With every page or spread I do, I have to remind myself of this. I have to tell myself that I am free to think of myself as a scientist in a laboratory, a child with art supplies, an individual with the freedom to explore. I practice what I preach, you see, because I know that I am capable of falling prey to the beastly critic who has a highbrow outlook on A-R-T.

The altered mind is one of the results I most want from this community art project. I will have succeeded if at least one participant and one reader expresses a new understanding about the definition of A-R-T.


COMING UP:
Other books I have in progress retain some of their original features.

Workshop January 11th 6 p.m.

Whether you've been on board from the beginning or want to get involved now, you are welcome to join us at Pottsville Free Public Library, January 11th, beginning at 6 p.m. to work on our books.

Bring "stuff" to use and/or trade. Bring a friend!

Project Information

Library patrons

destroying books

Public invited to help

POTTSVILLE – It’s a sight to see. Book pages are being bent, torn, glued and painted. To top it all off, the library approves.

The Pottsville Free Public Library, Friends of the Library and Allied Artists of Schuylkill County are collaborating to produce a community arts project for county artists and crafters.

In announcing “Outside the Margins: Making Altered Books,” Nancy J. Smink, library director, explained that the project, which gets under way this month and continue through National Library Week 2007, will involve workshops for people interested in learning to make an altered book and displays of final projects in public places and businesses.

The library will offer its facilities for workshops and oversee the project as it evolves. Friends of the Library, led by Fran Lorenz, will provide the discarded books that participants can alter. Local artists, members of Allied Artists of Schuylkill County, will conduct two workshops to help participants work on their books.

Pottsville Artist Helen Mills, vice president of Allied Artists, said in making an altered book, artists transform a text that is no longer fit for circulation or sale into a work of visual art. Words and images from the book might be retained; however, often the book in its original format is entirely obscured or changed structurally. Some altered books end up as sculptures.

“We agreed that an altered books project is a great way to provide a new use for discarded books and to showcase the skills of local professionals, hobbyists and students,” Smink said. “We are hoping to involve area art teachers, students, scrapbookers and others who have experience with altered art or want to learn how to make an altered book.”

According to the International Society of Altered Book Artists (ISABA), altered books are an old way of recycling. In the 11th Century, Italian monks recycled old manuscripts written on vellum by scraping off the ink and adding new text and illustrations on top of the old. This is known as "palimpsest."

In the late 19th century, people transformed used, old books into scrapbooks. They pasted ephemera such as magazine images, personal recipes and family pictures into the pages of the books. This is called “Grangerism,” a Victorian practice of illustrating a book with embellishments and other items torn from other books.

Today’s altered books often combine palimpsest, Grangerism and fine art. Altered books, in fact, altered art, whereby artists and artisans alter clothing, tins, cigar boxes, old board games and many other items, is gaining widespread popularity.

Thanks in part to digital convergence, artists are re-exploring the form and substance of print books, said Christine Goldbeck, Shenandoah Heights, who pitched the project to Smink. Tom Phillips' “The Humament” is one of the first contemporary examples of altered book art, she said. But, it’s just one example of many styles and forms of altered books. Goldbeck is an interdisplinary author/artist who enjoys making both artist’s books and altered books whereby she uses her painting, photographing and bookmaking skills to transform discarded books or to create books from scratch.

Smink and Lorenz said that during National Library Week -- April 15-21, 2007 – the books will be on display in area businesses and public venues that choose to showcase one or several objects. The books will be available for purchase and artists will choose whether to keep the profit, turn it over to the library or split the sale price with the library.

Anyone interested in participating in the project by making an altered book is asked to attend a November 9th workshop at the library, beginning at 6 p.m. At this time, participants will be able to acquire a discarded book and to begin working with page folds and preparing the substrate (or pages) for altering. There will be an opportunity for participants to view books that local artists have completed or are in process of making.

A follow-up workshop is scheduled for Dec. 7th, also at 6 p.m. in the library. Participants are asked to bring archival quality glue and a glue brush(es) with them to the Nov. 9th meeting.

Participants must complete their book or books and bring it to the library no later than Feb 28th, 2007. Businesses and public venues interested in displaying completed altered books are asked to contact Denise Miller at the library.

Allied Artists are asked to bring archival glue and applicators to the group’s Sept. 19th meeting/workshop. A selection of discarded books will be available.

This is the project blog. Visitors and participants are welcome to post comments, suggestions or questions.