Sunday, October 11, 2009

serpens volumen - arcus pluvius

Yesterday I completed the second very long coptic bound book's that I've now titled 'serpens volumen' - the serpent book...




This one is is a few centimetres shorter than the first serpens volumen - it's 2.25m long (or a bit over 7ft) and has been constructed from pages of Encyclopaedia Brittanica Science Year books from the early 1980s (which not coincidentally was also my high school years)



This one is called 'serpens volumen - arcus pluvius' - or the rainbow serpent book - and I think it should be pretty obvious why it carries that name... the pages of the book have been arranged according to spine fold colours - and it's quite amazing (and often a surprise) what a delightful array of colours turn up when you slice and fold about 5 encyclopaedic volumes



as in the first 'serpens volumen', each section of the book has been created from a single page of from the year books - and again I went through almost an entire 100m roll of waxed lined thread (I also broke the eye of one of my bookbinding needles... ) I think it took me almost as long to arrange the pages as it did to bind this creature.


Its quite an unwieldy beast to pick up, carry and arrange - but also so satifying to try it out in numerous arrangements - the rainbow spine really makes for a very different look to the first book - and I can't wait to try them out together in a space....

9 comments:

  1. I looked at it, stretched out, and thought'how the heck does she move this thing!'

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  2. hee hee hee - its quite a beastie to move around - its so fluid, it spins and twists around itself... I drape it, like a python, around my shoulders... quite a sight!

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  3. Wow ronnie, very impressed, i love the way you have used colour on the spin of the book. well done.

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  4. The 'skin' on 'serpens volumen - arcus pluvius'is evocative of a Diamond Python Ronnie. Also the way you've created multiple compositions out of the one piece adds another dimension to its appeal.

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  5. thanks for your astute and kind words peciacake - how lovely of you to drop by my neck of the woods!

    many years ago there was a glorious python living in the roof of the old part of the house here at the creek - it was wonderful - beautifully glossy black - I always wondered what it would feel like to hold.... it wouldn't be like a book version I'm sure!

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  6. What a stunning rainbow serpent! I love it.

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  7. I'm thoroughly enjoying browsing through your blog and loving these images of your work.

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  8. Wow! I'm so impressed. I can see I'll be wandering around your blog for a bit.

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thanks for all your lovely comments - your words are greatly appreciated xx