The Shape of a Book

There's a wonderful exhibit in the Galway City Museum right now. I've enjoyed taking my visitors there; fortunately most of them have as much love for books as I do. Here's the description:

Modified Expression (Crafts Council of Ireland)

An exciting mix of emerging and established artists whose work is inspired by the written word. The exhibition was created in response to the work of the authors participating in literature strand of the the Kilkenny Arts Festival. Featuring calligraphic text, deconstructed books, intricately hand-cut paper, and recycled and re-sculptured works, Modified Expression is a fascinating collection of artworks that demonstrates each artist's personal interpretation of the texts, transforming literary works into visual ones and creating powerful new forms of expression.

It's quite beautiful. I know some people might not be able to get over the idea of such violence done to books, but I find the transformations breathtaking. Like the butterflies above the pieces show how our ideas take wing as we read.

Changing the way we think of books and stories is what these sculptures do without effort. How familiar the shape of a book, yet how easily it can be altered to make us see it with new eyes.

The swans of Galway inspire another refashioning of a book of poems, but also show us the way ideas grow to fruition in the pages of a book, both for reader and for author.

It's nice that they have a little library of Irish writers and a nice comfy chair where you can sit and read them, too. There's a great view out over the city, too.

And because I know Gerri will want to see them, here's a couple shots of how lovely spring is in Galway.

Filed under: C. Margery Kempe, contemporary romance, erotic romance, inspiration, Kit Marlowe, Romantic Places, What inspires you?, Writer's Life