Friday, April 25, 2014

An artists book for Peace

Given that today (ANZAC Day) is a day of remembrance for those who have died in war or in peace keeping missions, Fiona and I decided that today would be a good day to work on our artists book for an exhibition later this year.

The exhibition has a focus on war and peace - so my book attempts to address these issues through the material and content. As you can see from the photo below the artist book will have a sculptural form.

©2014 Barry Smith - Artists book for peace
I have chosen to use an old cannon shell, a couple of steel cartridge cases and a few pieces that came from the battle fields around Ypres (Ieper).

©2014 Barry Smith - Old steel cartridge case
©2014 Barry Smith - Old brass cannon shell - cut down and annealed
I have also chosen to use a few lines from 3 poets (John McCrae, Wilfred Owen and Vance Palmer). These excerpts are stamped into the steel sheets I cut out of the cartridge boxes.

On each of the pages I have also included the words "imagine peace" that will be hidden towards the spine of the book form.

©2014 Barry Smith - Excerpt from John Mc Crae's poem In Flanders Fields
And the whole lot is riveted together.

©2014 Barry Smith - Artists book for peace

©2014 Barry Smith - Artists book for peace
©2014 Barry Smith - Artists book for peace
The work is still a bit rough - needs a bit of a grind and tidy up in a couple of places - but in the main I will leave it as it is  - part of the design character of the piece.

The photos are a bit rough - taken with the iPhone at different parts of the process.

It was a good feeling to complete this work today as a artistic peace statement.

10 comments:

  1. Stunning B - it is strong, fragile and beautiful. It's materials say so much and despite the horror that have seen, you have made a thing of beauty to remind us peace and beauty are possible.

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  2. Hello, Barry.

    Good feeling works.
    Thank you for your visiting always.

    I wish You all the best.
    Greeting
    From Japan, ruma ❃

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  3. Brilliant idea and so well done.

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  4. incredible and a wonderful way of honoring.

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  5. A beautiful and moving post, B, and a most wonderful book of peace. Inspired use of materials!

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  6. F, V , Ruma, P, TL & C - thank you for your supportive comments regarding this peace piece - lets hope we can add that little bit more conscious energy to it so that it can carry a positive message. F - thanks - as it sits in our house it can be a reminder for us. V & P - well done if it can carry the message. TL - we often forget that those who died were actually doing it for peace - so yes it is good to honour them. C - thanks. All go well and may we continue to promote peace. B

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  7. A stunning book Barry and wonderful use of the meaningful materials you have sourced.

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    1. Hi H - thank you for your valued comment - always good when the content and materials mesh. Go well. B

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  8. I love your peace book the materials are so in keeping in with your creative art

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Comments are welcomed - it is good to connect with fellow travellers.