Bärbel Ullrich
On altered books – the use and interplay of text and images
Symposium presentation 9.30am Wed Dec 7
In Another Land
Invited visual artist, HR Gallop Gallery Dec 6-8
I propose a presentation on the concept of altered books as a container of images, text and ideas that have trace and memory. As these ideas/images are contained in a small space it becomes a symbolic crevice which is personal, portable, private and tactile.
The altered books – once discarded but given a new life by altering, contain the original memory of its previous owner(s).
In the altered book, the use of existing text is integral to the visual work where text is image and image is text allowing the artist to work in a poetic way as well as exploring the materiality of the object. The use of images, text and ideas can be experimental narrative not necessarily having a sequence but an interplay of content and form where the pages don’t need to be viewed in order.
Finally, the altered book embodies the idea of a journal or journey – a record of developing ideas and research over time. One cannot get to the destination without the journey and with creative arts practice this is particularly so.
Bärbel is a visual artist/printmaker who lives in a property at the foothills of Mt Bogong in Victoria, Australia. Her current projects are working in collaboration with the environment to produce prints that imbue the spirit of place as well as creating altered books which use the interplay of text and image.
She has endeavoured to interact and use material from the environment or the material from ready-mades such as old books.
