Artist's Book Yearbook 2003-2005 - Book Arts - University of the ...

Eason’s subject matter is fairly eclectic, but runs
with historical reference on which he builds his
own singular lyricism in words and pictures. His
texts are poetic and allude to a heightened
experience of the ordinary, such as a night walk
in the city, as in the book Smoke Flower. This is a
book that acknowledges the archaeological
residue of the urban environment. Through
historical re-enactment, Eason has created
Obscura, which can be linked to from the home
page. This was originally conceived as an
installation for a performance event at Bristol’s
Camera Obscura. The site version is displayed
in a cinematic format with stills images of a
character dressed in eighteenth century
costume, he is appropriately contained within
circular lens like vignettes.
Andrew Eason’s site has a useful selective links
section, listing further sites for artists’ books
exhibition venues, project facilitators and
institution collections. The overall feel of this
site does not compromise the books it
disseminates.
Keith Smith’s books site,
www.keithsmithbooks.com is a godsend to
artists wishing to actively engage with the book
structure and its cultural and technical
complexities. This site lists all the practical
manuals that Keith Smith has self published.
Clear explanatory text gives an oversight of
each manual with the option to view specific
sections of these books through the hypertext.
An order form is easily accessed and the whole
site has a minimal straightforward design
aesthetic.
www.penkiln-burn is the site dedicated to the
marketing of the work of maverick and svengali
Bill Drummond. Drummond’s former exploits
include building up his self-made myth through
a popular music empire, the KLF and the K
Foundation. He is also a conceptual artist who
has employed a range of strategies in order to
question and subvert the cultural landscape.
The site is extremely straightforward to
navigate through. At the time of writing there
are three sections to choose from at the
opening page, The Catalogue, subdivided into
Job No 5 How to be an artist and Job No.21 Silent
Protest (war art one). The ‘Shop’ page enables
the ordering of works through a downloadable
131
form, and the Events section lists exhibitions
video installations and performances. The
underlying glorious nihilism in the main body
of work catalogued, is celebrated through
sparse utilitarian typography and seductive
thumbnails of paintings, multiples and one-off
publications reflecting a diversity of oblique
obsessions, such as the owning, disowning and
modification of an expensive artwork by one’s
favourite artist.
Visiting Mark Pawson’s site Disinfotainment &
Kustom Kulture at www.mpawson.demon.co.uk
the aesthete in search of refined minimalist
web design will experience a major arrest of
colour recognition. The home page is a
chequered with thumbnail images in a
wonderful lurid day-glow rainbow hue. Pawson
is a self-confessed image junkie, photocopier
fetishist and aficionado of lo-fi printing
methods. He has a mail art lineage, that has
informed his methods of working, distribution
and dissemination of ideas. His bookworks are
meticulous and affordable varying from what
could be described as artists’ books to more
fanzine type publications.
As well as Pawson’s own work,it is possible to
purchase the publications of other artists on
this site. Apart from the dazzling array of
ephemera available (printed and painted
material, badges, T-shirts and toys, to name just
a few items); the sheer focussed obsessional
nature of Pawson’s practice and production
places this site in the ‘add to favourites’ league.
His publications, What are you collecting at the
moment Mark? and Noggins the Scandinavian
tourist souvenirs, display a deranged, eccentric
sensibility that is refreshingly articulated by five
years of collecting and research. Disinfotainment
& Kustom Kulture is a site where the opening
low-budget page belies the innovative use of a
high quality retro-graphic layout, once the
viewer has acclimatised and proceeded beyond
home.
Guy Begbie is a practicing book artist and long
distance lorry driver. He lectures in Book Arts,
Graphic Design and Fine Art at Herefordshire
College of Art and Design.