The Altered Book Project includes art made by 20 local artists made from book parts
By Clare Shreve
It all started with a book. When 20 North Portland artists found the text of their choice back in May, they began working on their project. The culmination of their time and resources is now on display. â?©The Altered Book Project takes over Buckley Centerâ?TMs art gallery for the next four weeks with pages upon pages of used books that have been paper mâchéd, torn, pasted, wielded, sculpted and nailed. â?©Artists who took part in this project turned used books into inspiration. The exhibit is a showcase of what came to be of their chosen books. UPâ?TMs own costume designer and theater professor Jill Hoddick also took part in this endeavor. She saw this show as a great opportunity to bring the talent of North Portland artists to the UP community. â?©Ã¢?oeThis show provides a connection to education and art,â?? Hoddick said. â?©St. Johns Booksellers played a vital role in the creation of this exhibit because they supplied the books to the artists. They offered up novels, dictionaries and other literature for artists to take and use as they pleased. â?© â?oeThis book (â?oeBergenâ?TMs Botanies, Key to Flora â?" Common Oregon Flowersâ??) jumped into my hands,â?? Hoddick said. â?©The project allowed Hoddick to combine several of her loves: quilting, art and flowers. Hoddickâ?TMs piece is titled â?oeFragile Pages, Fragile Flora.â?? The delicateness of her piece is apparent with its gauzy layered flowers and lavender-colored script. â?©Other artists chose novels, phone books and classic Shakespearean literature as their muse. Some created different books, others completely transformed their texts into recognizable shapes and still others did a combination of the two. â?©Ã¢?oeAnyone can play around with books,â?? said Nancy Cushwa, artist, co-creator of the exhibit and member of Artists on the Peninsula. â?©Cushwa has five pieces in this show, one of which is user friendly. She wanted some interaction between the book and the viewer, which she accomplished in her piece â?oePIR.â?? When this racing book is cracked open, sounds of such well-known scores as Indiana Jones fill the air. Accompanying this piece is an insert that tells of the hazards of loud noises. Not shy of making a statement, this book is covered in earplugs. â?©Another point of interest includes â?oeBurnt Bookâ?? by Kelly Bergande. The piece allows spectators to peer through the camera lens into a world of censorship, made complete by a pile of used matches and a burned book.â?©This exhibit is not unique to Portland however. The Altered Book Project has been popping up in such places as California, Colorado, Maine, North Carolina, Virginia, Wyoming, and even in Toronto, to name a few. â?©Ã¢?oeAltered Books get a lot of people involved that normally wouldnâ?TMt be in an art show,â?? Cushwa said. The accessibility of books makes it easier for a wider range of people to participate. â?©There will be an opening reception, complete with appetizers, art and artists beginning at 6 p.m. Saturday, ending at 9 p.m. The reception is open to the public. This will offer time not only to see the art but also to talk with the artists about their work. If you canâ?TMt make it, feel free to browse through the artistsâ?TM statements, which are located in a book at the front entrance of Buckley Center. â?©The show ends on Oct. 16. â?©
