"if they are [books] to be of any use they must be as living friends or acquaintances and the whole art of forming and keeping a library consists in treating them on this footing alike mentally and materially" - from Books in the house by Alfred William Pollard, 1904In this video, London booksellers Adrian Harrington and Jonathan Kearnes take us on a 15 minute tactile journey focusing on the physical, irreplaceable nature of the book object. Whether it is Harrington tying together the long history, from Dickens to Harry Potter, of books being the launching pad for cultural stardom to...
A Trip Across America with the Dickman’s
With Memorial Day around the corner and summer ahead this is the time of year when many of us start thinking road trip. Regardless of our mode; car, bike, plane, train or ..., the goal is to get out there and have some fun. One item you might want to consider bringing along with you is the latest book from poetry's rising dynamic duo, Matthew & Michael Dickman. 50 American Plays (Poems) is a 52 act (don't forget Guam and Puerto Rico) fun-filled parade through America. From the singing jews and dancing blacks of Walt Disney Doesn't Give a Shit...
Books at the gas station
In Australia they call them bowsers; here we call them gas pumps.No matter what you call them check out this commercial for the Nissan Leaf electric car that aired down under and features the bowser above.And while we are at the gas station let's not forget this life-size gas station made entirely from the covers of books by Dutch conceptual artist Job Koelewijn's in 2007. The name of the piece: Sanctuary.Previously on book patrol:Fill 'er up at Job Koelewijn's 'Sanctuary'Thanks to Bookshelf Porn for the lead on the bowsers
The Encyclopedia Britannica in the Hands of Simryn Gill
A couple of months ago it was announced that after 200+ years the Encyclopedia Britannica would cease publishing a printed edition. The granddaddy of all encyclopedia's had finally succumbed; becoming the latest casualty of the digital revolution.So what to do with all those sets of bound knowledge that are strewn across the planet?How about turning them into a flotilla of paper boats!In her 2008 installation Paper Boats Australian artist Simryn Gill offered up the 1968 edition of the encyclopedia to the public and invited them to turn its pages into origami boats.In a review of an exhibit of Paper Boats...
Edinburgh’s Phantom Book Artist Takes a Detour
“Remember Edinburgh’s Mystery Sculptor? She has sent me 17 small paintings for my birthday, each one from a Rebus title.” - Author and subject of many of the pieces, Ian Rankin on Twitter.It has been almost a year since a slew of Rankin-themed book art pieces began popping up at various literary destinations around Edinburgh. The story received worldwide attention yet the artist continues to remain a mystery.Now this "Banksy of the Book Art World" takes a slight turn. Instead of a book art piece being left around town the artist changes direction and sends Rankin a birthday present of...