A sometimes neglected art form

“the process of physically assembling a book from a number of folded or unfolded sheets of paper or other material. It usually involves attaching covers to the resulting text- block.”

Made almost 6,000 years ago! Carved into stone or bone. This stone tablet from 2400 BC was found in Syria, ad told of the once- great city of Elba.

It was dried and used to write on. Papyrus was a plant abundant in the Nile Delta of Egypt.

Wooden cover and backing, with a hole punched through the center to connect them all. Few books of this time exist today due to decomposition.

Appeared in the 6 th century, so after 500 CE. European Monks held them in high regard. For the next 1400 years, the majority of the books created were by monks.

In 1447, an automated binding machine was invented for binding books. Many people continued to bind books by hand.

In the 1800s it was discovered wood pulp could be used to make paper. The number of books society was able to make increased, and with that demand, binding machines were improved.

Machines are made to trim pages and to glue the binding together. Improvements to covers for hard- covered books.

a bookbinding project inspired by a childhood memory

You will select a childhood memory Good or bad, but it must be from more than 5 years ago You will then transform what you recall into a generalized interpretation of the event and collage this on your cover.

Reinvented when retrieved. Vivid some times, yet unclear others. Can involve different senses. Essential for our existence. Precious.

Door Glass Pane Shade Ledge Sill House Open Curtain Frame View Breeze Sash Screen Shutter

Nurse Sick Lawyer Medicine Health Hospital Dentist Physician Office Ill Patient Stethoscope Surgeon Clinic Cure

Artist inspirations

Our memory plays tricks on us. What was once abstracted becomes concrete. Prague/Waldsee What could be represented by this multi-media collage?

Is this a literal interpretation? How could we tell? Would we know this is about war if it had been titled differently? Reflection on War Prague/Waldsee

Creates collages on discarded index cards from the library. Focuses on what memories she recalls from each book.

How does she portray this book, The World is Flat in abstract ways?

Polymer clay Varieties of paper Fabric Medallion What other materials can you think to use?

What elements of this piece suggest a narrative?

Write down ten memorable experiences of childhood. Brainstorm!

Pick a memory Collect imagery that symbolizes the memory, but does not show it at face value You must collage at minimum 5 elements/images/media onto your cover We will bind the books ourselves and you may use them as a journal or sketchbook for this class or something else Share our journals