If only textbooks could be as interesting as the pieces of literary art that are currently on display at Cal Poly, in an exhibit that focuses on turning books to into practical and artistic objects.
“Slightly Bookish” is located in the Learning Commons on the second floor of the Robert E. Kennedy Library. The goal of the exhibit is to display Cal Poly’s fine printing and graphic arts collection to campus and community members.
The exhibit includes pieces from local presses, artists, current students, faculty and alumni.
The tagline of the event, “You never know where a book may lead,” is well demonstrated. Books on display have been artistically torn up, altered, rearranged and transformed.
“These are very unusual book formats,” special collections curator Catherine Trujillo said. “You think of a book as something you put on your lap and read, but the books on display are very unusual.”
Architecture students submitted many of the pieces. As part of a kinetic motion project for professor Tom Fowler’s architecture classes, students had six days to turn discarded library books into pieces of furniture. One project, constructed out of books and wood pieces, resembles a therapist’s chair.
Students also made large, cylindrical seats out of folded books. When folded correctly, large quantities of books are strong enough to support a person’s weight.
“They had to create a lot of different furniture, so I thought it was interesting that they kind of related some structural things with books,” library curator and city and regional planning senior Justin Leveque said. “You don’t necessarily think of books having structural properties to them so I thought that was kind of neat.”
Also on display is “A Peace Library,” a collection that started in 2003. Inspired by the war in Iraq, a group of artists contributed book art about war and peace. These pieces depict searing and emotional imagery of battle, wounded and dying soldiers, renditions of the American flag and war nostalgia.
Typography and letterpress work is another aspect of “Slightly Bookish.” A section of the exhibit highlights work created at the student-run Shakespeare Press Museum. The graphic communication department uses this museum to showcase historic printing presses.
The exhibit features
a letterpress manufactured in 1890, as well as printed examples of its capabilities. A graphic communications professor was also brought in to lecture about typography and how the process works.
One of the more mystifying pieces of art, “Her way: a girl’s world,” was submitted by art and design faculty Charmaine Martinez. A poem, printed via letterpress, travels across 12 pairs of underwear hung up on a clothesline and draped over one side of the exhibit. A word used to describe women is printed on both sides of each pair such as “sexy,” “seductive” and “voluptuous.”
According to Trujillo, students appreciate the bold, artistic nature of the exhibit.
“We’ve had a lot of positive feedback from students,” she said. “The learning commons is a very open area. You might have someone studying soil science or English. To have that opportunity to look up and see something that you might not know about, and to learn more about a medium that is unfamiliar to your major is kind of exciting to students.”
The grand opening for “Slightly Bookish” was held on April 11. Approximately 125 students, faculty and community members attended the introduction of the exhibit, which featured a guest lecture from renowned book artist Julie Chen, who also contributed some of her work to the project. The exhibit will remain intact until June 5. With hands-on instruction being a major theme of the event, workshops will be held at the exhibit from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. on Thursday, April 23 and from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. on Sunday, May 17. Participants will learn how to make personal journals using recycled books.