Robin Bartoletti responds to my remarks with denials and contradictions, and
I object to his use of the term "flame." Art, as they say, is in the eye of
the beholder, and generates many different opinions. I do see something more
artistic in this artist's work: HYPERLINK
"http://www.sitemason.com/page/aWbvTa"http://www.sitemason.com/page/aWbvTa
I take issue with some of Mr. Bartoletti's assertions:
>This statement is completely untrue:
>>"The fact that the International Society of Altered Book Artists have to
explain themselves on the website probably indicates that others find the
idea questionable."
In an interview on the website, Jen Worden, an ISABA member, says: "There
are millions of books that are thrown in dumpsters every single day, so in
my mind, it's recycling. You're using books that would otherwise be thrown
away. How can you fault someone for that?" she questions.
Instead of tossing aside a book, Ms Worden turns it into a work of art and
breathes new life into what would have been destroyed. Still, the idea that
a book is altered can send shivers down some people's spines.
"There's a lot of people that really have a hard time with altered books.
It's driven into them from the very beginning that you don't write in books,
you don't fold down the pages. It's sacred," she says.
As a Teacher-Librarian who seeks to instill a love of books in children, I
am one of those people. Teaching the proper care of books is the earliest
step in teaching respect for intellectual property, the ideas within the
books.
My main objection is doing this as an art project with children. Not only
because this may confuse and blur the lesson that books should be treated
with respect, but also because the reinterpreting of another person’s
creative work is a highly intellectual exercise, and probably rather more
than a child is ready to do with much useful understanding. A mature artist,
with developed skills and techniques, can certainly make an interesting and
creative statement with this art form.
>Altered Book artists are highly respectful of books, treat them with the
care and respect one does with pieces of art.
From an article on the website:
“Carl Traeger Elementary third-grader Mindy Warga smeared blue and green
stamp pad inks over a page in the “P” encyclopedia. She worked around the
deep niche that had been cut through the pages, where she was planning later
to glue in a bright orange rubber fish. While writing in books is sometimes
frowned at, these third-grade students were encouraged to be as creative as
possible as they worked to create altered books with guest artist Beth Cote.
“It was cool ... that this book was already written and you get to change it
and make it more interesting,” said Elizabeth Langkau.
How is the child-artist learning respect for the books in this setting? How
much do the children understand of what it means to “alter” another person’s
work?
Re:>>"Or do they take the time to credit all of the images and words used? "
Mr. Bartoletti responded: >Yes, they do, if they use them.
I found no credits on the website - though I recognized several photos from
National Geographic Magazine, amongst others, used on these altered books.
> Anyone who is familiar with art history
I have studied art history at the university level, and have taken studio
art courses for years.
>>"But to extend this hobby into the use and alteration of other people's
intellectual property is not legitimate, IMHO."
Perhaps I went too far with this remark, but I was responding to the works
on the ISABA website, which are very similar in style and execution to the
hobby of scrapbooking. I was also thinking in terms of the contradictory
message that a child would get from doing such an art project in school.
Lesley Johnson
School District #36
Surrey, B.C. Canada
HYPERLINK "http://www.sd36.bc.ca/"www.sd36.bc.ca
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