General Introduction
My background is graphic design; for several years I worked as a pack designer in London before I moved to teaching. Currently I am a 0.5 (part time) Senior Lecturer in Graphic Design at The University of
Northampton, UK (TUN - formerly University College Northampton - UCN).
I came to book making as a means to communicate therapeutic stories for and about adopted children. During my MA in Visual Communication at Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, The University of Central England (BIAD, UCE) in 2000/01 I developed these ideas further and submitted my first Artist’s Book - [Unwrapping [My Year] 2000] to Cally Baker’s Millennium Book Project
http://www.thebookproject.com.
I continued to explore therapeutic books for children and have run workshops with social and family workers on this. Feedback on my adoption books described the experience of looking at them as similar to that of watching a film - time was slowed down. I was also exploring communicating painful stories in a metaphorical and poetic way; this also led me to a different writing structure. A website dedicated to this work is currently in production.
Recently real life intervened and caused me to move away from the therapeutic and adoption books for the time being and towards books created more for simple exploration and communication. However, themes from the earlier books live on in my more recent work such as; wraps, [un]folding, collaboration, personal perspectives, layering and secrets.
Exhibited books/work
2008
Artist’s Books: ‘Remembrancer ’ 2008 from series of 4; ‘Re: Catalogue’ 2008
with Emma Powell at 3rd Manchester Artist’s Book’ Fair, UK; 8th November
Artist’s Books: ‘Remembrancer i ’ 2008 from series of 4; ‘Revive Japan i’ 2007
‘Re: Catalogue’ 2008 with Emma Powell for ‘Re:’ as part of selected work from
‘Re:’ exhibition (exhibition co - curator) at The University of Portsmouth,
UK; 3rd - 14th November
Artist’s Books: ‘An ABC of Childhood Memories’ 2007,
‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007 and ‘Composition: A Book about Books’ 2008
at ‘ Back to Basics: Connected in Context’ exhibition, Noosa Regional Art Gallery,
Queensland, Australia; 17th October - 16th November
Artist’s Book :‘Remembrancer ii’ 2008 from series of 4; exhibited at The Sheffield
Artists’ Book Exhibition at Bank St Arts, Sheffield, UK as part of the “On the Shelf Festival”;
16 Oct - 9 Nov
Artist’s Book : ‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007 exhibited at The Fourth Annual Bookopolis,
Bookworks, Asheville, N.Carolina, USA; 15th - 19th September
Artist’s Books: ‘An ABC of Childhood Memories’ 2007, ‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007,
‘Once’ 2005, ‘Meeting in the Middle Catalogue’ 2005 with Emma Powell & Louise McDonald
shown at ‘Unfolding’ The Art Shop & Gallery, Abergavenny, Wales; 18th July - 23rd August.
Artist’s Books: ‘Remembrancer i & iv’ 2008 from series of 4; ‘Recycle’ 2008; ‘Revive Japan i-iv'
2007; ‘Reuse’ 2007; ‘Re: Catalogue’ 2008 with Emma Powell for ‘Re:’ (exhibition co - curator)
at artworks-mk, Milton Keynes, UK; 12 July - 23 August
Artist’s Books: ‘Remembrancer i & iv’ 2008 from series of 4; ‘Recycle’ 2008;
‘Revive Japan i-iv' 2007; ‘Reuse’ 2007; ‘Re: Catalogue’ 2008 with Emma Powell for
‘Re:’ (exhibition co - curator) The University of Northampton Gallery, Northampton, UK; 9 - 29 May
Artist’s Books: ‘Revive Japan i’ 2007, ‘An ABC of Childhood Memories’ 2007,
‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007, shown at The Society of Bookbinders 4th
Biennial Training Seminar, at Loughborough University, UK; 11&12 April
‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007 and ‘Composition: A Book about Books’ 2008
exhibited in ‘From Book to Book’ at Leeds Art Gallery, UK; 6 March–20 April
'Binga Urtext' in collaboration with John M. Bennett (USA)
‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ 2007 x 3 bought by Bertram Rota Books, London
and sold to private collectors
2007
October 2007 - co-written illustrated article 'Meeting in the Middle - a book arts collaboration'
with Emma Powell, published in UK book arts journal 'The Blue Notebook' Volume 2, No. 1
October 2007 – ‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ (2007) bought by Bertram Rota Books, London
September 2007 – ‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ (2007) bought by The Collection: Bower Ashton School of
Creative Arts, Bristol, UK
September 2007 - exhibited ‘An ABC of Childhood Memories’ (2007), ‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ (2007),
'Revive: Japan 1937-2007 (2007), ‘ABC Catalogue’ (2007) with Emma Powell & Louise Bird at 2nd Manchester Artist’s Books Fair.
'Revive: Japan 1937-2007 (2007)
Stand showing assorted books by 'we love your books' members.
Summer 2007 - exhibited 'Exhibits Unseen' at ‘Books 07: Works of Imagination, the search for the
impossible', in Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland, Australia.
Co-author of Random Journey/Full Circle catalogue in UWE bookarts archive.
Summer 2007 - exhibited at and co-curated ABC exhibition, The University of Northampton (toured to Herefordshire College of Art & Design August/September 2007).
Artist’s Book:‘Abecedarium for Bibliopoesy’ (2007) open edition; 77 x169mm,
digital print, recycled dictionary page, hand sewn
Artist’s Book:‘An ABC of Childhood Memories’ limited edition of 2;
220 x 298 mm, digital print, recycled book pages, Japanese stab stitch
Artist’s Book:‘Exhibits Unseen’ one off, concertina and flag folds, digital
prints, cut out figures, collaged box.
Artist’s Book:‘ABC un/wrap book’ with Janet Caldwell
& artist’s Book:‘ABC un/wrap book’ with Louise Mcdonald
Artist’s Book:‘ABC un/wrap book’ with Emma Powell
& artist’s Book:‘ABC un/wrap book’ with John Holt
Artist’s Book:‘ABC un/wrap book’
un/wrap book limited edition of 12; each book one off, 105 x 142 mm, digital print, recycled
book pages, rubber stamps, crayon, ink, recycled plastic, pen & ink, graphite, rub downs for
‘A (is for Add), B (is for Book), C (is for Collaborate)’(exhibition co - curator) The University of
Northampton Gallery, Northampton,UK; 14 - 31 May 2007
Also on show at ‘A (is for Add), B (is for Book), C (is for Collaborate)’
Series of cubes
Artist’s Book: Japanese Book 2006
Artist’s Book: Music Book 2006
Artist’s Book: ‘Myriorama’ 2006
Artist’s Book: '[Unwrapping [My Year] 2000 ]' 2001
Artist’s Book: ‘Full Circle/Random Journey Catalogue’ (2006)
with Emma Powell & Louise McDonald.
Artist’s Book:‘Meeting in the Middle Catalogue’ (2005)
with Emma Powell & Louise McDonald.
Altered Book ‘Ex Design’ 2006/07 one off , for Regenerator project, Centre for Fine Print Research,
University of West England, Bristol, UK shown at Off-Centre gallery, Bristol, 25 April to 11 May 2007
2006
Summer 2006 - exhibited work in Noosa Regional Gallery, Queensland, Australia.
Autumn 2006 - work published in USA bookarts journal 'Bound and Lettered'.
September 2006 - exhibited at First Manchester Book Arts Fair.
Stand showing assorted books by 'we love your books' members.
May 2006 – Co-curator and exhibiting artist: “Full Circle/Random Journey” at The Gallery, The University of Northampton, UK.
‘Myriorama’ (ltd edition of 2) & ‘Livret 141649’ (ltd edition of 1).
‘Full Circle/Random Journey’ 2 digital prints.
2005
November 2005 – Exhibited at LAB '05 (London Artist's Book Fair) at the ICA, London, UK.
Summer 2005 – 'Meeting in the Middle’ catalogue with Emma Powell & Louise McDonald
'Meeting in the Middle’ catalogue (limited edition
of 56) with Emma Powell & Louise McDonald.
'Wrap Book’ (limited edition of 36).
‘Waterfall’ . Therapeutic Artists Book
(limited edition of 2)
May 2005 – Co-curator and exhibiting artist: ‘Meeting in the Middle’ at The Gallery, University College Northampton, UK
'Journal'
‘Once’
‘I think’ with Sarah Colwell
‘Fairy Tale’ with Sarah Colwell
2004
‘Is Mail Art Dead?’ at The Gallery, University College
Northampton, UK. Baby Postcard 1 & Baby Postcard 2
2003
June 2003 – Group exhibition: ‘6 - Research work in progress’
at The Gallery, University College Northampton, UK
Wraps : 'Evryday Baby', 'Parcel Game', 'became yet other stories'
2002
“Unwrapping Adoption Stories” Article and images published in Adoption Today, Issue 102, Feb 2
Work produced collaboratively in workshop with social and family workers, Hereford, UK.
2001
MA Visual Communication exhibition: Birmingham Institute of Art & Design, The University of Central, England, UK (BIAD, UCE)
'pass-the parcel'
6 x MA Wraps : 'secrets', 'pass-the-parcel', '[wrap] books', 'changing perspectives','recorded parcels', 'parcel collage'.
'Interpreting Evryday Baby'
'Evryday Baby' - 2 prototypes.
2000
In The Millennium Book Project available at http://www.thebookproject.org and shown in Preston, Centreprise, London and 5th Contemporary Artist's Book Fair, Halifax and more...
'Unwrapping My Year 2000 Stories' (ltd edition of 2).
Unexhibited books
2005
'Normandie'
1999
'L’Epouse' - altered book.