The Books of Love

I’ve been a bit quiet on the old blog front recently but I have managed to do some nice colouring…

I read an article about the work of Tom Phillips, an artist who uses pages from one particular book to create an ongoing story, called A Humument, which is a ‘meditation on unrequited love and the struggle to create and appreciate art’ (apparently).  He began it in the 1960s and is still producing updated editions of the same book.  Lots of other artists do similar works, which is often called Found Poetry, to create poems or an entirely new story.

The basic idea is to take an old book, circle all the words that take your fancy and do some nice pictures over the words you don’t like.  I remember doing something similar as a child, so I thought I’d give it a whirl.  It goes without saying that I endured much artistic angst and suffering during the creative process and, obviously, there is an underlying deep meaning behind each piece of work.  Plus, it’s something nice to do with your hands in front of the telly if, like me, you’ve got five seasons of Breaking Bad to catch up on.

I call this piece Love & Meth in Miami in homage to Walter White
I call this piece Love & Meth in Miami in homage to Walter White
Coffee for an Angel is a political comment on the lack of refreshment opportunities for heavenly beings
Coffee for an Angel makes a political comment on the appalling lack of refreshment opportunities for heavenly beings
United Love examines the correlation between the decline in sales of traditional tea-bags such as PG tips and rising divorce rates in the UK
Cheer Up Missus is an ironic work on the futility of life and ironing
Cheer Up Missus is an ironic statement on the futility of life and ironing