"Things to Come" a retelling H.G. Wells story
"Long Overdue: Book Renewal" altered book collections at the Portland Public Library, Portland, Maine
_“Long Overdue: Book Renewal” is a collaboration between the Portland Public Library and Maine College of Art. It is an exploration of modern society’s relationship to both books and art. Like other more traditional library books, the altered books can be checked out by the public for circulation (beginning at 7P on February 16, 2006).
The program is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The project began in February 2005 with a lecture by New York book artist Doug Beube. Following the lecture, artists attended a “book grab” at the Library, where they selected their materials from withdrawn books, then they went to work to create something new from books that were no longer usable at the Library. In April 2005, 186 artworks were on display at the Library’s Lewis Gallery, drawing huge crowds of all ages. After the exhibit, the altered books were moved to the Library’s Technical Services Department to be cataloged and prepared for circulation. The books will be on the shelves and ready for circulation (including Interlibrary Loan) at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2006.
I dismantled and rebound a book titled, "H.G. Wells Short Stories." I chose "The Shape of Things to Come" as the theme of my altered book. The adaptation is based on the 1936 film in which Wells also wrote the screen play for. So it is a condensed version of his original story. This created a total of 18 separate separate signature/panels to tell the story.
Artist's Note: Altered books can be very difficult to photograph because of their three-dimensional quality. As an assemblage and altered book artist, I use objects in my work as well as mix media such as varnishes, shellacs, wax and arcylic. These types of media can be difficult to photograph because of their glare or coloring. These photographs were taken by a very talented photographer in the Portand, Maine area named Jim Castonia of Grapheteria. I have never seen a photographer be so successful with my work as Mr. Castonia. So I am happy to pass along his name and services to other book or assemblage artists looking for someone who has a grasp of this type of art.
The program is funded in part by a grant from the Maine Humanities Council and a grant from the Maine Arts Commission, an independent state agency supported by the National Endowment for the Arts. The project began in February 2005 with a lecture by New York book artist Doug Beube. Following the lecture, artists attended a “book grab” at the Library, where they selected their materials from withdrawn books, then they went to work to create something new from books that were no longer usable at the Library. In April 2005, 186 artworks were on display at the Library’s Lewis Gallery, drawing huge crowds of all ages. After the exhibit, the altered books were moved to the Library’s Technical Services Department to be cataloged and prepared for circulation. The books will be on the shelves and ready for circulation (including Interlibrary Loan) at 7:00 pm on Thursday, February 16, 2006.
I dismantled and rebound a book titled, "H.G. Wells Short Stories." I chose "The Shape of Things to Come" as the theme of my altered book. The adaptation is based on the 1936 film in which Wells also wrote the screen play for. So it is a condensed version of his original story. This created a total of 18 separate separate signature/panels to tell the story.
Artist's Note: Altered books can be very difficult to photograph because of their three-dimensional quality. As an assemblage and altered book artist, I use objects in my work as well as mix media such as varnishes, shellacs, wax and arcylic. These types of media can be difficult to photograph because of their glare or coloring. These photographs were taken by a very talented photographer in the Portand, Maine area named Jim Castonia of Grapheteria. I have never seen a photographer be so successful with my work as Mr. Castonia. So I am happy to pass along his name and services to other book or assemblage artists looking for someone who has a grasp of this type of art.
"Weigle contributed altered books that are relatively freely executed and loaded with ephemera, trinkets, and other elements vying for attention, which slows down the process of looking, as the works reveal their narratives cumulatively. "Things to Come" is inspired by H.G. Wells' eponymous futuristic film. It adheres to the codex form of a book and, donning white gloves, visitors can thankfully turn into active explorers, which is how an artists' book is ideally experienced - interactively, intimately and, over time, spread by spread." Source: "Art Current: Hands On" by Britta Konau, The Free Press, 6/29/2014
Updated June 2014