An exhibition of thirteen artists’ books from the collection, The Centre for the Artist’s Book, was held at the gallery in Miles in preparation for a workshop to be held in late July by Adele Outteridge and Wim de Vos on making artists’ books. The selection of artists’ books for this exhibition was made to show workshop participants and the public ‘what an artist’s book is’. Space was limited to three glass cases, which, of course influenced selection criteria.

Alfedo Alcanin, Spain
Io Sono Pinocchio (1984)
b&w etching of Pinocchio’s nose 10x63cm (open), 10 x 6.5 cm folded. Housed in plastic cassette case. Signed, dated and editioned in pencil. Edition 120/195. Published by Galeria Estampa, Madrid .

David Burnett, Australia
Shadow Book (1994)
A discarded car mud flap was the starting point for this book of found objects of paper and lead. Using solvent transfer, photocopies, monoprints and printed images a rich tapestry is created. Unique.

Noreen Grahame, Australia
Monsieur Le Président (August 1995)
A protest flip book about the resumption of French nuclear testing in the Pacific. The word ‘non’ enlarges gradually as the reader flips the pages until it almost shouts “NON, Monsieur Le Président”. Signed. 3.5 x 12cm.
Au moment de la reprise des tests nucléaires au pacific j’etais tellement indigné que j’ai conçu le flip book ‘Monsieru Le Président’. Commençant avec un proteste modeste la rage allait en s’agrandissant pour finir avec un NON furieux. Unlimited edition. Published by numero uno publications.

Ron McBurnie, Australia
God Dog (1991)
Concertina book in tin can receptacle. Colour photocopies of the artist’s drawings. The book tells the story of ‘God’ who want’s his own dog so much he makes it out of found objects. “On the first day God found a piece of wire…And on the seventh day he – took his dog for a wild run”. 7.5 x 5.5 cm. Signed. Edition 100 unnumbered. Published for Artists’ Books exhibition held at grahame galleries + editions 1991. Published by the artist.

Scott McCarney, USA
Memory Loss (1988)
The experience of a person who has suffered serious head injury and the subsequent restructuring of life and mind establishes a basic theme of ‘Memory Loss’. Texts drawn from clinical documents and personal correspondence interact throughout the book with a rich network of imagery. the unusual accordion fold/venetian blind format challenges a linear reading of text and images, as memory surfaces and escapes through the viewing of the pages. 40pp, 56.5×6.5cm, printed four colours. Edition of 500.Published by Visual Studies Workshop, Rochester, N.Y.

Shelagh Morgan, Australia
Changing Same (2007)
I chose to use transparent pages because of the subtle shifts that occur in the overlaid images, this alludes to the past & present merging. Material history is always happening now. The predominance of war on the history channel is actually not as distressing as watching the Fox News channel, and what they represent. Produced for the exhibition Lessons in History Volume 1 held at grahame galleries + editions in 2007. 12 X 30 cm. Unique.

Adele Outteridge
Round Trip (1996)
A collection of bus tickets sewn together forming travel details of the artist’s friends, children and students. It is as much a small sculpture as it is a book. 5.5 x 5.5 cm (Open 5.5 x dia 10 cm). Unique.

Alex Selenitsch, Germany arrived Australia
Ghost Series (2001 – 2006)

The Ghost of Adolf Hitler ( 2001)
71 staples through trimmed found book. 10.25 x 11.5 x 0.75 cms.

The Ghost of Winston Churchill (2001)
cotton thread stitching through found book. 28 x 21 x 0.5 cms.

The Ghost of Joseph Stalin (2003)
Perforated steel dust-jacket on found book. 22 x 15 x 5.5 cms.

The Ghost of Theodore Delano Roosevelt (2006)
52 chicago screws through tissue on drilled found book. 30 x 25 x 1 cms.

Some of the materials Selenitsch has utilised in producing these four books give the viewer inkling about the ghosts of the four chief Second World War protagonists. Staples hold Hitler’s Germany together, a perforated steel dust-jacket wraps around Stalin’s spirit, Roosevelt rescues Europe with chicago screws and cotton thread betrays the vulnerability of Churchill’s threadbare England. In a nice twist the sale price for the series was $1945, the year of the Yalta agreement. Unique.

Glen Skien, Australia
“A CONCISE HISTORY OF AUSTRALIA” VOLUME I
A small series of twelve transparent collaged works, which are most probably what I would have preferred to be doing in my Australian history lessons at school … writing and tracing over the pages and cutting out the pictures. Envelopes 10 x 15.5 cm in hand made box 11 x 17.7 x 8.2 cm. Transparent envelops with collage and text. Published for exhibition Lessons in History held at grahame galleries + editions March/April 2007. Unique. Silent Parrot Press (2007)

Normana Wight, Australia
The Book of Bitzer Fragments (1990)
‘Bitzer’ was one of the artist’s favourite companions as a young child. As he worn appearance and loss of on ‘button-eye’ attests, he was much loved. Handed-down to the artist’s brother, Jamie, to whom the book is dedicated, ‘Bitzer’ acquired a knitted jacket to help keep him together. In 1989 while preparing for an exhibition at grahame galleries + editions, ‘Bitzer’ re-emerged. Photocopied images from watercolours and drawings made for book. Printed on Japanese paper. 25 pp. 21 x 30 cm. Edition 1/20. Self-published .