Asked whether he liked books, Mark Twain said that he liked a thin book because it would steady a table, a leather volume because it would strop a razor, and a heavy book because it could be thrown at a cat. I wonder if he would have added his affection for an old book because it could be made into a work of art. That’s the premise behind Altered Books. Old and worn-out books probably headed for landfill are re-birthed into an amazing variety of artworks.
"Dream of Orchids"--A hanging paper sculpture created by Karen Hatzigeorgiou from an altered book. The flowers are made from the pages of the book, mounted on a wooden frame. "The idea for the wall art came about because some people look at typical altered books and are not sure how to display them," said Hatzigeorgiou. (Courtesy of Karen Hatzigeorgiou)
Read more about some of the artists and their creations. Visit the Library Riverwalk display to see some examples up close. If you are intrigued by the idea of this kind of recycling, consider being part of this activity to celebrate the Westport Library 100th Birthday. It all starts with the Books Unbound Launch this Friday evening June 13 at 7 pm, when Brooklyn-based altered book artist Doug Beube will give a talk and slide show on "The Alternative Library: the Book in the Environment." There will be a “book grab” ( we’ve been collecting some of the no-longer needed volumes),so that people can choose books for their projects. On October 3, there will be an auction of the wondrous creations of new art from old books.
To learn more about how this works, you may find books about altered books at the Library. These will be shelved in the New Books area for the summer and may be borrowed for 7 days. Questions? Contact Chris Timmons.
