The Liverpool Doors Project, bigger model (skip treasure)

Fired with enthusiasm I made a larger model, this time out of old cupboard doors. With many people modernising their homes is that so much is thrown away, this includes doors. Used to line skips these unwanted lumps of wood find their way to tips and salvage yards, left to rot in corners.....
But Doors are an important part of our lives, we are carried through them in birth and death, they offer security, warmth and privacy. They welcome us, they deter us. Painted and decorated, often changing with trends and fashion they remain a door.

The idea was to collect doors from the Liverpool area that were going to be thrown away.... press and radio appeals then followed.

I have been told I have the perfect face for radio....

The Liverpool Doors Project, one member of the team...

An important member of our discussion group is Sonny.



Though we thought what were doing was interesting Sonny began to grow somewhat bored...



... and in the end gave up on us... until he had a treat or two....

The Liverpool Doors Project, scale models (Diddy Doors)

Roger had told the people at the New Museum of Liverpool the idea and set forth with a scale model of some doors. I am sure that it was not the model that did the trick but..... they said yes... WOW

Next was to see it on a larger scale....

The Liverpool Doors Project, a little research.

A trip to the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford for a look at the writing tablets in the collection. With the historical president in place, we felt more and more comfortable with the concept.

The Liverpool Doors Project

With the opening of The Roger McGough Liverpool Doors Project only a couple of weeks away I have been busy...

It all began with The New Museum of Liverpool asking Roger McGough if he would put his words in the Museum... on the walls, windows and the like.

However Roger asked me if it would be possible to make a book... yes I said.... then we had another beer... how big could a book be ? the answer was how big do you want it ?

With notes and sketches being drawn on the backs of menus and wine lists (we were in the pub at the time) and slow working staff, a concept slowly took shape.....
At sometime during the evening doors as a cover for a book cropped up in the conversation. This being one of those evenings 'work' when many things are talked about I was able to rationale the use of doors. In the main they are made of wood and if we go back in time the boards of books were of wood. Further back Monotychs, Diptychs, triptychs and polytychs were made of wood... so no problem there.

As the evening wove its way towards the bell we worked with a frenetic pace, 'could the pages be made of wood ? yes was the answer, could we use doors ? well yes as we could make huge concertina books using hinges..... yes we would use doors.

The next step was to put our thoughts into action......

Designer Bookbinders Lecture

Dear Lecture Goers,

Just a reminder that the next Designer Bookbinders lecture is……..
GLEN BARTLEY A Retrospective.

Starting at 6.30 pm, Tuesday the 7th of February 2012



I have to own up and say that as a fan (on the quiet) of Glen’s work, I am delighted that after minimal persuasion, he agreed to give a talk about his work.

Though well known for his air brush work and binding in Vellum, there is much more to his output and this is a unique opportunity to understand more of the back ground in the development of his working methods and his individual approach to being an independent Bookbinder.

I look forward to seeing you there and have been assured that the heating is working.

Mark


The Art Workers Guild, 6 Queen Square, London WC1
Nearest underground stations: Holborn and Russell Square
Admission: DB members £5, non-­members £7, students £2.50 per lecture

The Liverpool Doors Project

You may ask why a picture of a door in a skip.. well it is all to do with a project I have been working on in The city of Liverpool.

It all started over a year ago over a drink or two in the Red Lion ( Barnes ) chatting with the celebrated Liverpudlian Poet, writer and all round good egg... Roger McGough.

Die NIBELUNGEN.

The hand dyed leather is on, now to the leather joints and in-filling...

Happy New Year.

Wow, a busy year was old 2011 and I hope 2012 will be busier.
lots of studio work and new students, projects big and small.


One of the biggest is the Roger McGough, Liverpool Doors Project. More about this later. But, it has meant that I have been working in Liverpool. I find it important to be able to find a comfortable office to work out of. Mine is called the Roscoe Head.



I think it is no secret that the project involves doors... over 30 of them....



And a lot of people.. more about them as time for the opening gets nearer.

Die NIBELUNGEN.

The endpapers are on, the boards and spine attached, ready for sanding.

The boards are shaped to reflect shapes in the illustrations.

Been Very Busy

New post will be up soon....

Book in Progress. Through the Looking Glass.

Book in Progress.

Book in Progress.
I hope to have this on exhibition in a month or so.. in London. But something tells me that the selection committee may find it difficult.

Post L A B 2011...

Images of meditations interrupted 3 and Duplicity, Coleridge and a Cup of Tea in their new home.

Many thanks to the Collectors for the images.

New book on the bench. Die NIBELUNGEN

Love the book... but


It is held with wire staples... a mixture of single folio sections and 3 fold sections. The wire has bitten into the single folio sections ... leaving holes.



A small book with issues... but it is beautiful.

London Artists Book Fair 2011...

The trick £50.00... always a pull at these events..



A few minutes before the doors open...

London Artists Book Fair 2011... At last a use for the Encyclopaedia Britannica...

Yes I realise that there is nothing new under the sun..... but it is fun....

Meditations Interrupted 3 London Artists Book Fair... not long now...

Meditations Interrupted 3 in the natural environment.... see this and more at the L A B 2011...

I mages taken in THE RED LION Public House, Barnes.... my office.

London Artists Book Fair...

starting to prep the work for the show ... lots to do...

Hull History Centre.

As part of The Designer Bookbinders touring exhibition I will be giving a talk about the work of Designer Bookbinders, how and why the books are made and an informal chat about some of the books in the exhibition.

The Hull History Centre, Lunch Time Club, Tuesday 13th of September from 12.30....... see you there.....

Society of Bookbinders Conference.. 2011

Over the weekend I did my stuff........

Society of Bookbinders and Designer Bookbinders workshops....

I am doing a workshop in London, November 19th and 20th.

More details can be found on the Society of Bookbinders web site... please follow the links.

London Artists Book Fair... My MoJo...

The Mo Jo series of Books, I hope to have them at the London Artists Book Fair later this year.

Why Mo Jo ? see the ' Short Movie of the Bookbinder'.....

London Artists Book fair... My MoJo...