Posts Tagged ‘Guy Begbie’
ARTISTS BOOKS IN AUSTRALIA: The People+Events
Doug Spowart’s ARTISTS BOOK FAMILY Mosaic
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In July the artists book symposium ABBE 2025 took place at Artspace Mackay. A key theme of this event was the ‘mapping Australia’s artists book histories’ and in the extended brief for the conference there was the lament that while artists books in Australia had been broad and active there was a scant record of the history the discipline.
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Reference was made to the understated history of the two main texts Gary Catalano’s The Bandaged Image (1983) and Alex Selenitsch’s NGA published Australian Artists Books 2008, conferences such as those coordinated by Artspace Mackay, many unpublished PhD thesis and the ‘valiant attempts by journals’ that burn out after a few years.
‘Bring your stories, your artifacts, and your memories’ they said so I put forward a submission consisting of aspects of the visual record that I have been making over 22 years of the artists book scene. My submission was to be an illustrated presentation consisting of approximately 200 portraits of the people of the artists book discipline as well as a few events.
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Here is my submission rationale:
AN ARTISTS BOOK FAMILY ALBUM – A ‘paper’ by Dr Doug Spowart
“A family’s photograph album is generally about the extended family
and, often, is all that remains of it.”
Susan Sontag in On Photography 1977
Family archives are a profound thread connecting past, present, and future, serving as repositories of memory, identity, and history.
Photography is more than just a medium for capturing pictures—it is a lens through which we view and understand history. Its ability to document, provoke, and preserve moments in time has made it an indispensable tool for both personal and collective memory.
In this way photographs hold the power to evoke vivid recollections, introducing us to lost relatives and forgotten stories while anchoring us within a broader familial narrative. Yet, the fragility of these archives is striking — images tucked away on devices or in drawers risk being lost to time, their stories untold.
The passing of key family members often deepens this void, as context and meaning tied to people and events can vanish. Establishing and preserving a family archive becomes not just an act of personal curation but a legacy-building effort, ensuring that these visual fragments of memory remain accessible to future generations.
In an era where countless photos are taken but rarely saved, the challenge lies in collecting and annotating these fleeting moments. A taking them into lasting archives for some to have as a touchtone for memory, and for others to review and research. Maybe to tell the story for future eyes and minds of the books that were made, what events happened and who was there…
This paper will present an illustrated fragment of photographs of the artists book family taken by the author over a 20 years period.
Dr Doug Spowart
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This submission was accepted, and the presentation offered to attendees of the symposium, and later online as a movie via the Artspace website.
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A LINK TO THE YOUTUBE VIDEO ON DOUG SPOWART’s Channel: “CLICK IMAGE”
For BEST viewing quality select HD quality in the SETTINGS menu. NOTE: The full video is 12 minutes long.
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PRESENTER’S COMMENT from Doug Spowart
In curating these photographs I have focussed on selecting images from the broad artists book community and have not included many photographs from my collaborative practice with Victoria Cooper.
Every attempt has been made to ensure correct captions – Please advise of any errors or omissions. Thanks to Caren Florance, Helen Cole, Robert Heather and Adele Outteridge for their assistance with captions.
Victoria and I have provided commentary about the artists book and photobook disciplines for many years in our Blog, journals, events coordinated and lecture presentations.
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All photographs are Copyright Doug Spowart (Some by Victoria Cooper). The subject pictured, after contacting the copyright owner, may be able to use the portrait of themselves for non-commercial applications. Other usage may require negotiation of a fee.
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WHAT FOLLOWS IS A LIST OF ALL CAPTIONS IN THE VIDEO
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MABF 2017 National Gallery of Victoria
Deanna Hitti and Deidre Brollo @ MABF 2017 National Gallery of Victoria
‘Life’s Journey’ exhibition @ Redland Art Gallery, Cleveland 2012
Julie Barratt in her gallery at Alstonville 2011
Dianne Longley in her exhibition ‘Navigations’ at Barrett Galleries 2008
Tim Mosely in his exhibition Make Like An Eskimo 2012
grahame galleries opening of Lessons in History Vol. II – Democracy 2012
Heather Matthew and Stephen Spurrier @ grahame galleries opening of Lessons in History Vol. II – Democracy 2012
Monica Oppen and Jan Davis @ grahame galleries opening of Lessons in History Vol. II – Democracy 2012
Volume Art Book Fair, Artspace, Woolloomooloo, Sydney 2017
Helen Cole chairs presentations by Keith Smith and Scott McCarney State Library of Queensland 2012
Siganto Seminar: The Trouble with Artists’ Books SLQ 2013
Helen Cole –Siganto Seminar: The Trouble with Artists’ Books SLQ 2013
Noreen Graeme and Jan Davis – Siganto Seminar: The Trouble with Artists’ Books SLQ 2013
Hearsay book launch with Euan Mcleod, Ron McBurnie, Susi Muddiman & Lloyd Jones SLQ 2013
Jo Kambourian at Artists Books Flash Mob Survey Book event Grafton 2013
Catherine McCue Boes Books as art: 30 years in the making Bundaberg Regional Gallery 2014
George Paton Gallery, Artist’s Books (reprised) University of Melbourne 2014
International speaker Sarah Bodman presents a paper – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
International speaker Brad Freeman – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Lyn Ashby – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Convener Tim Mosely presenting – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Books By Artists exhibition – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Sue Anderson + Gwen Harrison Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Deidre Brollo with Christene Drewe + Helen Cole and Marian Crawford with Sarah Bodman
Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Penny Carey-Wells and Caren Florance Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Robyn Foster + Fiona Dempster and Angela Gardner Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Sheree Kinlyside and Impress Printmakers: Sue Poggioli + Jennifer Stuerzl Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Tim Mosely and Heather Matthew Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Adele Outteridge + Wim de Vos – Abbe 2015 Griffith University
Jo Kambourian and Darren Bryant at Lismore Art Space 2014
The SLQ White Gloves team Christene Drewe, Helen Cole and Jeanette Garrard for Abbe 2015
State Librarian Janette Wright welcomes attendees SLQ 2015
Brazillian artist Amir Brito Cadôr keynote presentation Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Seminar 2015
Julie Barratt and Clyde McGill discusse their Siganto Foundation Creative Fellowship 2015
Jan Davis and Doug Spowart discuss their Siganto Foundation Creative Fellowship 2015
A forum on collaboration – Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Seminar 2015
Judy Bourke and Adele Outteridge+Wim de Vos at the Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Fair SLQ 2015
Clyde McGill and Anne Kirker and Sue Poggioli at the Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Fair SLQ 2015
Helen Malone and Sandra Pearce at the Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Fair SLQ 2015
Amir Brito Cadôr with Noreen Grahame & Helen Malone at the Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Fair SLQ 2015
Helen Cole, Michael Wardell & Clyde McGill at the Siganto Foundation Artists’ Book Fair SLQ 2015
Dr Marie Siganto makes a presentation to Ana Paula Estrada and Victoria Cooper
PAPER CONTEMPORARY – Sydney Contemporary 2015
Grahame Galleries stand with Ron + Jonathan McBurnie at Paper Contemporary – Sydney Contemporary 2015
Victoria Cooper, Jan Davis and Trent Walter at Paper Contemporary – Sydney Contemporary 2015
Sue Anderson + Gwen Harrison and Brigita Oppen at Paper Contemporary – Sydney Contemporary 2015
Helen Cole, Akky van Ogtrop, Robyn Berkeley from Berkeley Editions and Victoria Cooper at
Paper Contemporary – Sydney Contemporary 2015
Fellow Travellers a book by William Kelly, SLV Creative Fellow and Baldessin Press Studio Residency recipient
Personal Histories International Artist Book Exhibition Uni of NSW Canberra 2015
Robyn Foster (Curator), Judy Bourke, Selena Griffith, Tracie Toohey, Rachel Hunter, Lisa Morisset –
Personal Histories International Artist Book Exhibition Uni of NSW Canberra 2015
Christene Drewe introduces UK artist Guy Begbie – The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2016 SLQ
Guy Begbie presents his keynote address – The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2016 SLQ
Victoria Cooper and Lyn Ashby presentations – The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2016-7 SLQ
Helen Douglas presents her keynote address – The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2017 SLQ
Clyde McGill performs his book and a White Gloves presentation of artists books
– The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2016 SLQ
Freestyle Books exhibition curated by Helen Cole at the State Library of Queensland 2008
Freestyle Books Symposium with Ron McBurnie, Peter Lyssiotis, Judy Watson, Jonathon Tse and others
at the State Library of Queensland 2008
At the launch of Ana Paula Estrada’s book MEMORANDUM – Ana Paula with Louis Lim and Annette Green 2016
Visiting Wim de Vos and Adele Outteridge at Studio West End Brisbane 2017
Visiting the 2017 Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair – Melbourne
David Dellafiora and Gracia Haby + Louise Jennison at the
2017 Festival of the Photocopier Zine Fair – Melbourne
Ulrike Stoltz & Uta Schneider international presenters at Artists book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
A K Milroy + Brad Freeman – presenters at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Marian Crawford and Ana Paula Estrada presents their papers
Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Marian Macken presents at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Wim de Vos at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
A plenary session on artists books at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Noreen Grahame in her curated exhibition “… & So” – Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Barbara Davidson and Caren Florance at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Sue Poggioli and Anne-Maree Hunter at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Brad Freeman and Anita Milroy – Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Lyn Ashby and Sue Anderson at Artists Book Brisbane Event Griffith University 2017
Anna Welch, Des Cowley and Madeleine Say at Ballarat International Foto Biennale
World Photobook Day Book Fair 2019
Helen Cole presents and a floortalk – The First Focus of Artists Books and the Libris Awards at Artspace Mackay 2004
Looking at books and the opening crowd – Focus of Artists Books and the Libris Awards at Artspace Mackay 2004
Bruno Leti workshop – Focus of Artists Books and the Libris Awards at Artspace Mackay 2004
Focus of Artists Books and the Libris Awards at Artspace Mackay 2005
Caren Florance, Sasha Grishin and Dianne Fogwell in the ANU exhibition at FOAB 2005
Unknown lady, Adele Outteridge, Madonna Staunton and Wim de Vos and Sasha Grishin FOAB 2005
Focus of Artists Books and the Libris Awards at Artspace Mackay 2006
Robert Heather welcomes attendees + Marshall Weber presents Focus of Artists Books at Artspace Mackay 2006
Katherine Nix workshop – Focus of Artists Books at Artspace Mackay 2006
The installation view of the 2008 Libris Awards
Michael Wardell welcomes attendees and a Forum at the 4th Focus on Artists Books event and
Judge Michael Desmon presents his address to the 2008 Libris Award
Clyde McGill’s foyer artwork FOAB 2028
Michael Desmond presents his lecture in the 4th Focus on Artists Books event
2008 FOAB some of the presenters McGill, Fogwell, Florance and Cooper
Focus on Artists Books V and the 5th Libris Awards 2010
Michael Wardell addresses the attendees – 2010 Libris Awards and 5th Focus on Artists Book event
2010 FOAB Deanna Hitti in her exhibition ‘Bint Trembucky (daughter of the drum)’
Caren Florance and David Dellafiora in their workshops – 5th Focus on Artists Book
Victoria Cooper with Judy Barrass and Linda Douglas – 5th Focus on Artists Book
Barbara Davidson and Caren Florance with Sheree Kinlyside of Red Rag Press – 5th Focus on Artists Book
Victoria Cooper with Monica Oppen and Sara Bowen (Book Art Object), Julie Barratt and Caren Florance
Visiting the 2016 Libris Artists Book Award
Visiting the 2016 Libris Artists Book Award
Denise Vanderlugt with her highly commended bookwork I used to wrap rainbows and Jamian Stayt’s
Soulless evolution 2016 Libris Artists Book Award
graeme galleries’ 5th Artists’ Books + Multiples Fair in the Dell Gallery Griffith University 2007
Monica Oppen and Michael Wardell with Doug Spowart
at graeme galleries’ 5th Artists’ Books + Multiples Fair in the Dell Gallery Griffith University
Helen Cole + Dianne Fogwell and Stephen Spurrier + Normana White
at graeme galleries’ 5th Artists’ Books + Multiples Fair in the Dell Gallery Griffith University
Victoria Cooper with Dianne Longley and Anne-Maree Hunter
at graeme galleries’ 5th Artists’ Books + Multiples Fair in the Dell Gallery Griffith University
12th Edition Noosa Artists Book event ‘Back to Basics’ 2008
Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artists Book Award 2006
Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artists Book Award 2007
Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artists Book Award judged by Robert Heather 2008
Judge Tara O’Brien announces the winner – Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artists Book Award 2009
Southern Cross University Acquisitive Artists Book Award 2011 – Judge Ross Woodrow
Peter Lyssiotis is his studio 2014
Ana Paula Estrada presenting her Mexican photobook collection in Maud Gallery, Brisbane 2017
Keith Smith and Scott McCarney in a workshop at West End Studios Brisbane 2006
Deanna Hitti’s exhibition of the book ‘A is for Alam (pen)’ at the State Library of Victoria 2022
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Any RSS reposting from this Blog without permission represents a breach of Copyright.
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SLQ – 2016 SIGANTO FOUNDATION ARTISTS’ BOOK SERIES
Post event refreshments on level 5 of the SLQ
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CELEBRATING ARTISTS’ BOOKS @ THE STATE LIBRARY OF QLD
The Program: The Siganto Foundation Fellowship artist book series 2016 – April 17
From 10am-1pm – White Gloves Room, level 4. The Siganto Foundation Fellows presented a display that featured their research and creative works which included research papers, artist books, drawings, letterpresses and prints. The Fellows spoke with attendees about their work and research outcomes. Participating in the Fellows White Gloves event were Peter Anderson, Lyn Ashby, Julie Barratt, Victoria Cooper, Marion Crawford, Jan Davis, Clyde McGill and Doug Spowart.
At 1:30pm on the Knowledge Walk Stage on level 1 – Clyde McGill presented Looking for Place, a performance for his artist book.
At 2pm The lecture component of the event was opened by Chief Executive Officer and State Librarian, Sonia Cooper. This was followed by a presentation by guest, UK artist and designer, Guy Begbie who talked about his current interdisciplinary arts practice. Following on – Dr Victoria Cooper, the 2015 Siganto Foundation Fellow, talked about her research into the use of montage in the State Library of Queensland’s artists’ book collection.
From 3.30pm attendees enjoyed refreshments in the SLQ Boardroom on level 5.
HERE ARE SOME PHOTOS AND OTHER DETAILS OF THE EVENT:
Siganto Foundation Fellows in the White Gloves Room
Clyde McGill performing Looking for Place @ SLQ Sigantio Artists Book Series 2016 event
CLYDE McGILL: Looking for Place, a performance for artist book (an extract)
Crossing the river under the Goodwill bridge, knee then neck deep in the warm water, not too salty, navigating around the mangrove roots, expecting to hear mud crabs clanking and whistling, curling my toes just in case, alloneword, who calls me fictivefriend, if only he knew, shows me another pressed flower (soggy) and a leaf. Then a pterodactyl feather he says was floating down from Mt Bartle Frere last night, I suggest it was the southern end of the Glass House Mountains. It looks like it’s from the ibisosaurus between GOMA and SLQ. We are dodging the rivercat (aow carrying our bag of sandwiches above his head), the tide is running. Finally making our way over to HMAS Diamantina to borrow her (alloneword thinks we’ll have to pay), in our bid to sail her along the Diamantina River (there is water). It’s an incredible resonance of names and place, isn’t it fictivefriend, he asks. Soon we’ll picnique (no replacements found, typeahead here) on the shores of the Inland Sea. We drip mud as we tell the man at the dock entrance about our project, it’s exciting, he raises his eyebrows, says what(?) looks away and closes the gate.
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SLQ VIDEO of the performance: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/audio-video/webcasts/recent-webcasts/clyde-mcgills-performance
Clyde McGill performing his artists’ book Looking for Place
Clyde McGill presents a fragment of his presentation to Dr Marie Siganto.
Christene Drewe from the SLQ introduces the program for the day
Guy Begbie presenting @ Siganto Seminar Series 2016
THE GUY BEGBIE PRESENTATION
Guy Begbie is an interdisciplinary artist, bookbinder & university associate lecturer.
As an artist, he makes book works influenced by a core interest in parallels between bookbinding structures & architectural forms.
He works in a variety of media, that includes traditional bindery materials, drawing, painting, printmaking, sculptural casting and filmmaking.
His work uses non-linear narrative and sculptural forms to investigate further innovative structures for the book and the potential in its transition from a closed two dimension to an opened three dimensionality.
The notion of a contained space in the book is of particular interest, both conceptually and physically, with book works alluding to spatial qualities in architecture and the built environment.
Filmic and time based qualities are also examined in other book works, using painterly printmaking media to present visual distillations of memories of place and the the fleeting moment.
The relationship of the book juxtaposed with the solid non-paper based artifact is also of concern and is tested through placement and the filming of constructed books and cast objects that both share some common aspects in media and construction methodologies.
This dichotomy of the kinetic book structure and the static cast form, is re-scaled in projection and further informed by the sound of the book, captured through recording the making and placement processes, then configured to provide audio soundtrack supporting the moving visual image.
http://www.guybegbie.com/Pages/default.aspx
SLQ Video of Guy’s presentation: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/audio-video/webcasts/recent-webcasts/guy-begbie
Dr Victoria Cooper presenting @ Siganto Seminar Series 2016
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DR VICTORIA COOPER’s PRESENTATION
A segment from Victoria’s presentation follows:
Montage Readings: Informed by History
There is a long tradition of artists and designers creatively combining images.
Photomontage or combination printing has its origins in late-nineteenth-century pictorial photography, most notably in the work of Henry Peach Robinson and Oscar Rejlander.
Then in the early twentieth century, Russian filmmakers, notably Sergei Eisenstein, pioneered the practice of montage in motion picture films to present animated visual concepts and to record the passing of time. Also in the first part of the 20th century, there was the work of the German and Russian visual artists including Hanna Höch, George Grosz, John Heartfield, El Lissitzky and Alexander Rodchenko used the “cut and paste” mediums of photocollage and photomontage to create political and social commentaries.
The surrealists such as Max Ernst, and Salvador Dalí and many other artists of this movement used the montage/collage to create visual contradictions referencing the uncanny connection between psychology of dreams and familiar experiences of the world.
Bauhaus teacher, pioneering designer and experimental artist László Moholy-Nagy became well known for his creative use of photomontage with text and image to construct innovative posters and page designs for his visual narratives. In a 1925 text, Painting Photography Film, Moholy-Nagy described this work as photoplastics.
My Project
Rather than see the concept of montage limited to that of a special case of film editing, he argues that the montage … is a principle to be found underlying artistic construction of all kinds …
Eisenstein’s original concept of montage was that meaning in the cinema was not inherent in any filmed object but was carried by the collision of two signifying elements.
Geoffrey Nowell-Smith Eisenstein on Montage, in Towards a Theory of Montage, 2010 pp. xiii-xvi
From the research I was drawn to the montage as a way of thinking and making. In this Fellowship I am now engaged with the montage and its ‘reading”. In this project I intended to investigate the montage through the Reading the elements… their Edges, Borders and Intervals.. or their ‘collisions’ The act of cutting and splicing in the creation of the collage/montage assigns new meanings and readings to the individual fragments. Each element, fractured by tearing or careful cutting (whether physical or virtual) before the blending, overprinting, or collage construction phase, forms the basic structure, a mise-en-scène, or syntax, of the final visual composition and narrative work.
I am interested in the differences of reading that is created through of the visible edge As opposed to the Fused and the seamless edge of the elements in montage.
These edges, whether seamless or visible, always refer to the nature of its original content, as in the grafted fruit tree where the origins of the elements are still evident. The narrative then becomes embedded or montaged inside the reading of the image or the page.
More to follow in a subsequent post on this Blog. The SLQ will post a video of the presentation shortly
SLQ Video of the lecture: http://www.slq.qld.gov.au/audio-video/webcasts/recent-webcasts/victoria-cooper
We offer our thanks to the SLQ team: Christene Drewe, Sharon Nolan, Bec Kilner, and Janette Garrard and also to the Dr Marie Siganto and the Siganto Foundation for their support of this event.
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