Now that the work of James Joyce has entered the public domain in Europe this year's Bloomsday celebration takes on a new twist.Take the LiberateUlysses project for one. A project spearheaded by uber James Joyce fan Steve Cole. You might remember Cole from last Bloomsday when he held a 24 hour tweet-a-thon of Ulysses.LiberateUlysses "encourages Joyce lovers everywhere to express their personal vision of Ulysses with whatever medium they have at hand, be it social or not, this Bloomsday (16 June)." Here's a sampling what's happened to date:Ithaca a painting by Marija GirevskaSamantha Extance has created a line of “steampunk...
Massimo Bartolini’s bookyard
Check out this outdoor library that will grace the vineyard of St. Peter's Abbey in Ghent during this years Track festival.Designed by Italian artist Massimo Bartolini, the library installation consists of 12 bookcases that slope in harmony with the vines.The books are supplied by the public libraries of Ghent and Antwerp and are for sale with the proceeds going to the libraries.TRACK: a contemporary city conversation features work by 41 international artists that are strewn about the city of Ghent. h/t and more images at designboom
Richard Prince: Book Pirate?
“This is an artwork by Richard Prince. Any similarity to a book is coincidental and not intended by the artist.” © Richard Prince - so says the colophon.Richard Prince has made a very good living out of appropriating and transforming material from the cultural ether. So why not take what many believe is the quintessential American coming of age novel and make it his own.With the exception of the title page Prince's "sculpture" is an exact facsimile of the first edition with the second issue dust jacket (lacking the author photo). The dust jacket text reads: “Anyone who has read...
George Herms, Joseph Conrad and The Librarian
The Librarian, 1960. Assemblage: wood box, papers, books, loving cup, and painted stool57 x 63 x 21 in. (144.8 x 160 x 53.3 cm)George Herms emerged from the heart of the Beat Generation to become one of the founding artists of the California Assemblage movement. Three years after assembling his first piece or "junk sculpture" he began a series of works based on real people and places.One of the first pieces in the series and now considered one of his most important was The Librarian. During a visit to the local library in Larkspur, California where Herms lived for a...
Checking in at The Library. A Hotel for Readers
Located on Koh Samui, Thailand's third largest island, The Library, is a beach resort committed to the book set. Their goal: "If you can finish one book while staying with us, we think this is more than an accomplishment [for] our team.The centerpiece of the hotel is "The LiB" a spacious, well lit library with views of the sea.If you still need more, the the pool is red and the beachfront restaurant is called The Page! Also sprinkled around the property are book themed sculptures like these: and where did the inspiration for this Disneyland for readers come from?From the Project...