Artist Books, Bound for Glory ...

I've had a lovely invitation.There's an exhibition of handmade, artists', and altered books opening next week at the Nina Haggerty Centre here in Edmonton, and NEST {types} will be part of the show.I'm really delighted that the book will be in this exhibition!... I have a serious weak spot for work of this nature, and always have. There's something so satisfying about the sensual experiencing of books as objects; it's all about the small things that make them so special. The feel and smell of a particular paper, the textures and colours of the materials used to bind it and ornament it. Altered and artists' books are even more fascinating to me: individual rabbit holes of making and re-visioning an object that has (up until recently) been a large & fundamental part of our lives.And perhaps that's the other thing that makes work like this - and working like this, in this form in particular - so interesting and satisfying to me. The idea of the book, and it's reality as a 'given thing' in our world is much less 'given' than it was even 10 years ago, particularly in Canada. Small independent presses are closing, independent bookstores are closing ... and with them, places where works like this that explore conveying ideas in some unique way can have a platform.  But - and this is an important 'but' - there are still many place and people who appreciate the artistry that goes into books of all kinds.And that, to me, is a happy thing!Books make us stop for a moment - slow down - foster sensory input in different ways. Books are tactile, olfactory, visual ... sensual delights that reward us over and over again if we take but a moment to unplug and slow down, just a little.So, if you're in the Edmonton, Alberta area - pop by the Nina Haggerty Centre (a great organization that does great things for the community in Edmonton) to see Bound for Glory, and NEST {types} ... and enjoy a moment or two with all the books in the exhibition.