I consider altered books to be a method of eliciting a further message from the printed page, augmenting the initial narrative created by the author. Adding an artistic twist to the physical form of the book allows me to merge my own impressions and message with that of the author. This provides the viewer with an added dimension to consider regarding the original literary work.
I began altering books in 2012. With very few people working in this medium, I was self-taught, experimenting with a variety of techniques and honing my methods to get the desired results.
As a result, I have developed a process for hand-cutting the fore edge of books to add words and images to enhance the piece. I have not seen any other artist world-wide replicate this technique and am proud of being a pioneer in this art form!
Some people have criticized me for damaging books, but I prefer to think that I’m giving them new life. Most of my books are obtained from charity shops and are at their last stop before the landfill. I rescue them, transform them, and turn them into treasures to be appreciated.
Maggie Lina Kerrigan