Book Arts Tuesday/Book Installation at Maudslay

Saturday was installation day at Maudslay and three days later, I am breathing a sigh of relief. The work is up, it looks good, and visitors are participating. The theme of the exhibit is Play and I titled mine Play at Maudslay. I was inspired by a quote from the book Free Play: Improvisation in Life and Art by Stephen Nachmanovitch:

I wanted others to have the opportunity to experience the play of a creative act and decided the best way was to involve them in creating a part of the piece. My original intention was to involve people before the installation so that a completed piece would exist from the start. I am now thankful that summer schedules and busy lives stopped that from happening. Seeing it now, it is absolutely perfect that those who come to the park can take part on the spot.
Twelve green jute strings were tied around the tree branch. The books are made of Tyvek and tied to the jute with flat synthetic cord that I have had for years. Weights at the bottom allow the strings to sway in the wind but keeps them straight. If I had small children, I would have known that the first thing they would do with the hanging weights was try to make them hit each other.
I spent the day at the park slowly making and putting up the books and encouraging all who came by to take part. Susan, a facebook friend, came with her mother and daughter and were joined at the picnic table (very conveniently located nearby) by some teenage girls. I certainly enjoy making books with kids in schools but my absolute favorite thing is when different generations join together in creative activity.

I will be a frequent visitor until the show comes down on October 2. On Sunday afternoon, I saw this group

And today this lovely little book with a child's drawing and an adult's writing.
Thanks so much to Steve Hill for the top photograph. We'd never met before but he was touring the park with his camera and took some photos which he kindly shared with me. He does freelance photograph for Kelly Chadwick Photography should you want to contact him.
Outdoor Sculpture at Maudslay will be on exhibit until Sunday, October 2. The park is open daily from 8 AM to dusk. You can find information and directions at Maudslay State Park. Saturday, September 17 at 2 PM is the reception and Artist Walk. I always enjoy hearing the artists describe their process.