Several months ago I wrote a column about Book Art – what it is and my personal interest in it. I’m thrilled to report that Paula Shackleton, the Whistler Reads queen, is organizing the creation of a large book art sculpture in our lobby in honour of the Whistler Arts Council’s ArtWalk program.
On her BookBuffet website, Paula says: “Inspired by the Spanish Contemporary artist, Alicia Martin and her Bibliographia piece, (Madrid) which used 5,000 books in its construction, the Whistler book-art sculpture…will be sure to attract interested visitors. Books are usually forgotten items that take up space on our shelves collecting dust. When used as a medium for construction they transform words, stories, history into art in a veritable tower of Babel that defies gravity as they "spill" out in a fountain-like form, their pages flapping and intriguing us to look beyond the meaning of words into metaphors of thought, culture and language taking form. Various benefactors will be lending their expertise and sponsorship to the installation including local builders, gallery experts and volunteers in its construction.” We are collecting books to use as part of the sculpture – books that may be a bit worn or outdated, because they may be damaged or taken apart as part of the construction. If you have such books, please put them into the bin in the lobby in the next few days.
Along the same theme, the next Whistler Reads program, which will take place in the library’s Fireplace Lounge on the evening of July 30. “Seven Days in the Art World” by will be the book under discussion, and four panelists from the art world will be presenting. Susan Almrud is an Art Advisor in Vancouver and New York; Stephanie Friedrich is the Chapter Head of the National Museum of Women in the Arts; Michella Frosch is Chair of the Board of the Vancouver International Sculpture Biennale; and Reid Shier is the Director of Presentation House Gallery. These four will talk about their experiences in the realm of art, as well as the book, which was described by the publisher as a "series of beautifully paced, day-in-the-life narractives" that "will alter the way you look at contemporary culture." The fervor of a Christie's auction, the consternation of elite shoppers at Basel Art Fair, and the antics at Takashi Murakami's Tokyo studio are just a few of the tales Thornton tells.
If you have any questions about the book art installation or the Whistler Reads program, please contact Paula Shackleton at paulas@bookbuffet.com or contact the library at 604-935-8433.
