Artist’s Books and Book objects

During my studies of fine arts I learned about artist’s books, and ever since they have taken a special place in my life. As a visual artist I regularly choose a book form to express myself. Since I collect things, paint, draw and like to work in series, a book is a perfect form for binding or bundling ideas.
On the other hand, I sometimes choose to work with already existing books such as to be found at flee markets and in second hand book stores.

Biblioboei (Biblio buoy) (2019)
Book object I made out of second hand books from the series “Boeken van het Leven” (1958-1960) editor Het Leven, Rotterdam.
Shown in 2019 during the artistbook exhibition in Kunsthal45, Den Helder (NL)

Samenzang (Chants) an installation with used song books / expo Simmerforum Langezwaag (NL) 2015
For an art-exhibition in a church I made an installation using old songbooks from that church. I imagined how these books were once used, hands that had opened them, hymnes that were chosen from their pages and melodies that had filled this space. I wanted to show their reason for being by arranging them as if they were singing together one more time.

Starting from a bar at the top of high builing hang evenly unfolded books. The long transparant wires from which they hang down seem to let them flow in space, gently turning with the air currents in the building.
Some books hanging one above the other seem to arise from the neatly ordened stack underneath.

Song books in an imaginary chant. Rhythmically they form by their equal appearance and respective elevation changes a common melody, and unfolded to where the last user has left the read Ribbon, they show their own hymne.
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Familieportret (Family portrait) at the Personal Histories international Artist Book Exhibition Redland Art Gallery Cleveland, Australia. 29-03 / 10-05 2015
 
Book-object / 1994 / wooden pages / copper piano-hinges / seize 18 x 12,5 x 13,5 cm 
Book formed with the small planks my father made for each member of our family to prepare our sandwiches. 6 Pages, on each page a cut out slice of bread in order of seize; one for my father, mother, 2 older brothers, me and my younger brother.

Biblioboom (Biblio-tree)
Temp. book installation. Second hand books mounted around a tree, telling through their titles the story of trees in nature controlled by men. Mythe van de natuur, 2012, Drents Friese Wold (NL)

Heden (now / present)
7 bundled book covers with partly cut off titles, remaining the word ‘heden’ (now)

Huis voor de boekvink (Chaffinch maisonette)
Birds maisonette build with second hand books; telling in a poetic way (through their titles) about birds-family-life. (2000)

Spirulina
Painted story about the life of flamingo’s. In green furry box

Bufo bufo op mijn weg (Bufo bufo on my path)
Multiple – rubber cast of a dried out toad in a wooden cover
2004, limited ed. 15 ex. Seize 15 x 15 cm

Het meisje met het rode haar (The girl with red hair)
 
30 Books of the paperback edition with an image painted on each cutting side, representing Hanny Schaft – the red-haired girl (a well-known Dutch resister in WOII), the author of the book – Theun de Vries – and a favorite statement from the author typed on his original typewriter.

 
Zinck (Zinc – or to sink)
Temp. installation 1993, seize: 20 x 50 x 50 cm.
Book containing 7 zinc pages with original etchings. By putting it under water the bundled pages become a new story.

 
Gezonken boek (Sunken book)
Book object, 1994. Zinc, photography, 7 pages, 10 x 15 x 1 cm.
A series of dubble-exposured photographs of wide landscapes and fish in a sea-aquarium, togehter with left-over zinc bookcovers from a former special edition.The book got its weathered look by leaving the zinc plates during a week in the village-harbour, hanging under water.

Zicht op Zieuwent (View on Zieuwent)
Temporary installation with second hand books.

Inside the transparant hut the books are placed on eye-level, telling through their titles the history of the environment. Art route Zieuwent, 2002 (NL)