BAO #4 at UNSW CANBERRA

Congratulations and thanks to Caren Florance & Terence Uren
who have curated an exhibition of Book Art Object Edition 4 artist books at the UNSW Canberra (ADFA) Library in Canberra, Australia, during November 2013.

Caren has set up a great set of photos on Flickr if you would like to view the exhibition on line:

BAO@UNSW

My contribution for BAO #4 "The Lost Typewriter Key" (photos above) is included -  

so nice to see it on display alongside some familiar names and books in what looks like a fabulous display.

Spoiler Alert

 It has been an age since I posted off my little 

BookArtObject parcels

to their different destinations around the globe,

I have not heard from all the recipients,

so, if you are still awaiting your little parcel,

LOOK AWAY NOW.

For everyone else,

here is what was inside my

editions (entitled LOST) of:  "The Missing Typewriter Key".

The accompanying explanatory colophon reads as follows:

LOST

by Robyn Foster

(inspired by The Missing Typewriter Key, #69 of 100 stories in An Exercise for Kurt Johannessen (2010),  used by permission of the author, Sarah Bodman)

 an edition of 12

BookArtObject 2012 Edition 4 – Group 3

http://bookartobject.blogspot.com

In 2010, inspired by Kurt Johannessen’s Exercises (1994), British book artist Sarah Bodman wrote 100 stories (An Exercise for Kurt Johannessen). Sarah buried these stories in a forest somewhere in northern Denmark, never to be read.

With Sarah’s permission, the titles of these  stories have provided the starting point for BookArtObject Edition 4, 2012.

BookArtObject is an annual online project in which book artists from around the globe form groups (numbering on average 8 per group for 2012), each artist makes an edition of books from a chosen topic and sends a copy of the completed book to each artist in their group, and a copy to Sarah Bodman via Sara Bowen (organizer and instigator of the project) for inclusion in possible exhibition opportunities.  

This edition of 12 handmade books  is my reaction to #69 of Sarah Bodman’s 100 stories:  

The Missing Typewriter Key.

The edition consists of 12 paper and card pocketed concertina fold books, each with 8 removable tags, tabs, red string and end papers/covers made from specially printed postcards.  Each book is housed in a slip box constructed from black Canson card. Cut circles, representing missing typewriter keys, appear throughout the books as do images relative to the theme of being missing or lost, without the probability of recovery.  I have focused my attention on a bygone era, a time that is lost to us,  in which typewriters would have been prevalent (BC: before computers). Shellac has been used to give the impression of patina and age on the removable tags. Text used is typed predominantly in American Typewriter or stencilled.

BookArtObject - almost revealed

Whilst I sent off my 

Book Art Object

contributions to my fellow BAO buddies

on the first of the month, I am still waiting for those

of my group in America to receive their copies.

So..... 

until I know they have opened

their little packages, and revealed the

secrets contained within, I wait patiently to

share exactly what it is that I managed to produce for this project.

I don't think I give too much away by sharing the above image 

which is of the slip boxes I made to house the books.

I am very excited too, as
Barbara Simler
has just posted on the
Book Art Object blog
that she has finished her part of the project too
and has sent her little surprises off in the mail.

BookArtObject Parcels - finally winging their way around the world

Not very exciting photos, I know - but - I am excited!

Here are my little BookArtObject parcels.

They have been ready for a few weeks now,

unfortunately life has got in the way
and they have been waiting patiently to fly off to their new homes.

They are all wrapped now and  ready to post to my BAO buddies 

(Ronnie in Australia
Kalmia, Meg & Rebecca in USA
Barbara in Canada
Angela in UK

+ 1 more to UK for Sarah Bodman via Sara Bowen in Coffs Harbour,

+ 1 for my book buddy Jack who is also doing BAO this year).

Post Office line, here I come :)

I will post photos of what is inside the packaging 

for my BookArtObject project

"The Missing Typewriter Key"

as soon as I know everyone above has received their parcels.

Underwood Typewriter

(My 200th post)

If only this little beauty had come into my life

before I completed my BAO edition for

"The Missing Typewriter Key"!

L-O-S-T Connections

I have been VERY busy putting together

my submission of 12 handmade books based on 

the theme of "The Missing Typewriter Key" for the 

Book Art Object 

project that I am participating in.

I never envisaged how much time would

be spent thinking, searching, deliberating, 

working on process, creating, more deliberating, editing 

and exacting this little run of handmade books.

Whilst I don't wish to give too much away

(as I wish the BAO recipients of my book

to gain some small sense of surprise upon receipt),

The above images appear in my final work up.

These century old sepia photographs 

were found in the ceiling of a house my brother moved into over a decade ago,

and I feel they are missing their history and connection as

the immediate family wasn't interested in retrieving them 

when we told them of their discovery.

They seem to hark from the Toowoomba/Ipswich region

of Queensland (Australia) and the only

information I have is from a tribute card

for the sweet little girl with the blonde curly hair

whose name was Elsie May Baills,

beloved daughter of Sam and Martha Baills

(lost to her family at the tender age of 10 yrs 10mths on 23rd April 1914).

BookArtObject - Progress

 Am

 working

away on my

Book Art Object 

project.

Have finally

sorted out my ideas

and played around a little

bit with materials and

processes.

I

think I'm

ready to take

on the daunting

task of actually

putting in the hard

yards and making

my

first

edition

of handmade

books.

Lots of work ahead of me, but looking forward to the results.