Our book of the month for October, with 30% off, is The Stuart Brisley Interviews: Performance and Its Afterlives
This series of interviews, held by curator and writer Gilane Tawadros, are focussed entirely on Stuart Brisley’s practice and directed by him. The artist’s narration of his practice demonstrates an unswerving resistance to controlling the narrative or fixing the meaning of his works. Citing the Brazilian writer Clarice Lispector, Brisley emphasises the critical importance of error to the creation of his performances: ‘You can say what you’re going to do, you can think about it, you can prepare it, and then when you start, it’s all disappeared because it’s actually meaningless… errors make for where the key value lies.’ The enduring resonance of Brisley’s work lies in its formless and slippery characteristics that resonate so poignantly with our shared human condition.
New Stuart Brisley show at the Lungley Gallery
7 October–19 November 2022
Lungley Gallery
Wed–Sat, 11am–6pm
There is also new show of work by Stuart Brisley opening in London this week at the Lungley Gallery. Featuring new paintings alongside Maya Balcioglu’s photographs of Before The Mast, a ten-day durational performance that took place in London in 2013.
Join us at Burley Fisher on 20 October (postponed from earlier this year), to launch the new edition of Sophie Collins’ 2017 book, small white monkeys: on self-expression, self-help & shame. Sophie will be reading from her work, as will Helen Charman who has written a new introduction for the second edition, They will be joined by Rachael Allen, also reading from her work. If you can’t make the event, you can order the new edition here.
Helen Charman is a writer and academic based in Glasgow. Her first book, MotherState— a political history of motherhood — is forthcoming from Allen Lane. Her latest poetry pamphlet, In the Pleasure Dairy was published by Sad Press in 2020. She teaches English Literature at Durham University.
Rachael Allen is the author of Kingdomland (Faber) and co-author of numerous artists’ books, including Nights of Poor Sleep (Prototype), Almost One, Say Again! (Slimvolume) and Green at an Angle (Kestle Barton).
Sophie Collins grew up in Bergen, North Holland, and is now a lecturer at the University of Glasgow. She is the author of Who Is Mary Sue? (Faber, 2018) and small white monkeys (Book Works, 2017), and the editor of Currently & Emotion (Test Centre, 2016), an anthology of contemporary poetry translations; a sequel, Intimacy, is forthcoming. She is the translator, from the Dutch, of Lieke Marsman’s The Following Scan Will Last Five Minutes (Pavilion, 2019). Most recently, she has translated Marsman’s novel, The Opposite of a Person (Daunt Books, 2022). She is currently working on new poetry and prose.
Dark Room shortlisted for the Paris Photo – Aperture PhotoBook Awards
Phyllis Christopher’s Dark Room has been shortlisted for the 2022 Paris Photo – Aperture PhotoBook Awards, in the First PhotoBook category.
Huge congratulations to Phyllis, the designer Rosen Eveleigh, editor Laura Guy, commissioning editor Lizzie Homersham, contributors (Susie Bright, Shar Rednour and Michelle Tea) and everyone who has supported this book so far.
Book Works is a leading contemporary arts organisation with a unique role as makers and publishers of books.
Established in 1984, we are dedicated to supporting new work by emerging artists. Our projects are initiated by invitation, open submission, and through guest-curated projects. Book Works consists of a publishing and commissioning department; and a studio specialising in binding, box-making and multiples.
STUDIO
The Book Works Studio offers a specialist bespoke service for a range of clients, from artists, designers, galleries, and businesses. We provide binding solutions, develop prototypes and specialise in unique book artworks, boxes, and portfolios. We have an extensive archive, and offer tailored educational events, and bookbinding courses. The Studio generates income from clients and is self-sufficient.
PUBLISHING
Book Works Publishing is dedicated to supporting new work by emerging artists. Our projects are initiated by invitation, open submission, and through guest-curated projects and include publishing, a lecture and seminar programme, exhibitions, the development of an online archive, and artists’ surgeries and workshops.
Our audience is vital to our work. The process of engaging and developing our audience is initiated with our commissioning programme, and driven through all aspects of our activities, particularly our public programme of events, our workshops, artists’ surgeries and education activities, and through our interest in collaborating with other organisations and libraries. Our programme of commissions is diverse, and reflects our commitment not just to work with cultural workers from all backgrounds, but to invest in networks and programmes that engage, and develop and create new artistic voices.
Recent Commissions
Include new projects with: Phyllis Christopher; Francesco Pedraglio; Sarah Tripp; Praneet Soi; Stuart Brisley; Nina Wakeford and Art on the Underground; Erica Scourti; Sophia Al-Maria; Bouchra Khalili; Laure Prouvost; Stephen Sutcliffe; Joanne Tatham and Tom O’Sullivan; Contact – a series guest edited by Hannah Black with Hamishi Farah, Momtaza Mehri and Derica Shields; and Interstices, a fiction series edited by Bridget Penney with Harun Morrison, Diana Georgiou and Licorice by Bridget Penney.
SUPPORT US
By supporting Book Works you will help support artists and writers at the emerging stage of their careers through our diverse commissioning programme of open submissions, guest editorships, public events, exhibitions and publications.
CHARITY
Book Works is a registered charity, dedicated to advance education for the benefit of the public in the visual arts, particularly books which may be recognised as works of art in their own right.
TRUSTEES
We have a board of trustees who input their range of diverse expertise and interests into our development:
Teresa Drace-Francis (Chair)
Maria Amidu
Nick Brown
Aliya Gulamani
Michael Mack
Claire Malcolm
Gerrie van Noord
