Nick West, “Work 55”

 

Nick West
Brighton, United Kingdom
https://www.nickwest.work

Work 55
2021
Artist’s Book
9.8 “x 9.4 “x 1.7”

Artist Statement

I make books. In my ongoing series Books From Things I reimagine what a book can be by creating objects composed of readily available objects. Working modularly, I use the technique of
assemblage to build one-of-a-kind sculptures from everyday items like matches, dice, and gloves.

The choice of object is crucial, as each readymade item produces a different set of ideas in the viewer. Where a book made from matches suggests light and volatility, a book made from dice
implies code, chance, or even fate.

For my iteration for the Minnesota Center for Book Arts Prize – Work 55 – I wanted to emphasize the relationship between the book and the body. Are books haptic? After being attracted to the
markings on some work gloves I found in a local hardware store, I hand-stitched the fingers and edges of the gloves together so that this book would mimic the gestures of the reader when holding a volume.