The Lady in the Tower and other Tall Tales

Pictured above L - R: vertical accordion artist books A Tall Tale, Castles in the Hair and Bats in the Belfry, each 2013, pigmented drawing ink on Khadi paper, cloth bound. All three will be exhibited at Melbourne Athenaeum Library during Melbourne Rare Book Week, in keeping with this year’s focus on gothic fiction.

The literary classification of The Lady in the Tower has a special niche in gothic storytelling. The principal point of departure for Bats in the Belfry is the peripheral but pivotal character Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic in Charlotte Bronte's gothic novel Jane Eyre (1847). The same character is the protagonist of the Jean Rhys novel, Wide Sargasso Sea (1966) in which Bertha’s original name is revealed to be Antoinette Cosway and the story told from her point of view.

As artist-in-residence at Melbourne Athenaeum Library, I’ll be developing new projects centring on female characters (and in one case, a character who never quite was) from the gothic novels Frankenstein (1818) by Mary Shelley and Wuthering Heights (1847) by Emily Brontë.

Residency dates: 30 June - 7 July

Library hours: 
Saturday: 10 am - 2 pm
Monday, Tuesday & Thursday: 10 am - 6 pm
Wednesday: 10 am - 8 pm
Friday: 10 am - 4 pm

Artist talk: Wednesday, 4 July 6 -7 pm

Queenscliff Literary Festival 2017

Vertical concertina books, 2013, one-of-a-kind, ink
and acrylic on Khadi paper, cloth bound.
Each book: 20 x 15 cm (open)

The artist's books pictured above are currently on view at Queenscliff Gallery and Workshop in the exhibition, Queenscliffe Literary Festival & Great Authors Print Exchange. The show is part of the 2017 Queenscliffe Literary Festival.

The books relate to the literary classification of 'The Maiden in the Tower'. The primary point of reference for A Tall Tale and Castles in the Hair is the German fairy tale, Rapunzel, famously collected by the brothers Grimm and first published by them in 1812. The story has its basis in earlier tales dating back as far as the 11th century. 

The third book, Bats in the Belfry, draws its primary inspiration from the character Bertha Mason, the madwoman in the attic in Charlotte Bronte's Jane Eyre. The same character is the protagonist of the Jean Rhys novel, Wide Sargasso Sea, in which Bertha's real name is revealed to be Antoinette Cosway and much of the story told from her point of view.

The Queenscliffe Literary Festival & Great Authors Print Exchange runs from 3 May - June 12. For full details, visit QG&W's website HERE.

A Tall Tale: Title Page

A Tall Tale: title page

Pictured above: the concertina book with its newly completed title page. The text is white acrylic paint, which was applied with a fine brush.

A Tall Tale, unique artist's book, ink, acrylic and gouache on handmade Khadi paper, 80 x 15 cm. Photography by Tim Gresham.

A tale half told

The artist's book in progress A Tall Tale is a little nearer completion. (See also Blog Post January 15, 2013). Some stages in its progress are pictured here. Like all the books in this series, it tells its story without words. The title and other related information will be the only text; they will appear in the clouds above the tower.

The silhouette was drawn in India ink. The braid was detailed in white gouache.

Pictured above: A Tall Tale, unique book, pencil, ink and gouache on Khadi paper, 80 x 15 cm.

A new year and some new work

 

Currently I'm spending most of my time at Ballarat, working on a series of concertina books. So far seven of them are mapped out. 

The blank books were constructed en masse in the sun room, which has excellent light and where I can really spread out.

In my small studio I outlined the illustrations for each book in pencil. The first of these, A Tall Tale, is pictured directly above, preceded by the miniature painting that is its basis. All seven books have the same vertical composition. The drawings will be finished in ink and will take the form of silhouettes.

Pictured first and second from top: 

Books under construction, Ballarat, January 2013 

Third and fourth from top: 

A Tall Tale, 2012, acrylic on canvas, 9 x 7 cm (photograph by Tim Gresham)

A Tall Tale, 2013 (artist's book in progress) pencil on Khadi paper, 210 gsm, 80 x 15 cm