The picture above comes from Linda Toigo‘s interactive edition of Robert Louis Stevenson’s The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The interactive elements consist of opening envelopes, ripping pages, constructing illustrations from jigsaw pieces, turning and returning pages facing reflective surfaces, but just as engaging — perhaps more so — is the unified way in which layout, texture, page size, illustration and half-tones achieve a gothic atmosphere. Experience it here online.
Going to and fro between her blog, website portfolio and Vimeo site is like viewing a solo exhibition in the artist’s company. When you have finished viewing this two-minute video, treat yourself to Toigo’s book art animation. I especially enjoyed the “hide and seek” effect of the three-level accordion and tunnel book work Annar and the Moose. But what is worth repeated viewing is Medieval and Modern History (Suggestions for Further Study for Jack Hroswith) (2013), in which the artist uses lit matches, a glass surface and her fingers to burn, excavate and sculpt the pages of a used history textbook. Jack Hroswith is the owner’s name inscribed on the opening endpaper, which is a haunting piece of random history reflected in the artist’s creative process:
… I gave chance a prominent role: with the same morbid fascination that inspired the fire officer in Fahrenheit 451, I let fire burn its way on the pages, and I observed the devastation of words, maps and illustrations. At the same time, however, I kept a certain level of control on the destructive process developing a quick reaction to avoid the complete dissolution of the book: for every page I waited for the fire to reach a chosen sentence or a specific image before pushing the paper down onto a glass surface with my fingertips.
In her blog, Toigo notes the influence of Gustav Metzger’s Autodestructive Art manifesto from the 60s, John Latham’s burning Skoob Tower and sequences from Truffaut’s Fahrenheit 451. Toigo seems to have no “anxiety of influence”. While her works echo those of contemporaries and twentieth century book artists, they do so in her own voice.
Further Reading
“Islam Aly“. 13 January 2020. Books On Books Collection.
“Doug Beube“. 21 April 2020. Books On Books Collection.
“Jessica Drenk“. 29 August 2024. Books On Books Collection.
“Cerith Wyn Evans“. 16 April 2020. Books On Books Collection.
“Lucia Mindlin Loeb“. 28 November 2022. Books On Books Collection.
“Movables Now and Then“. 31 August 2024. Bookmarking Book Art.
Drucker, Johanna. 1994, 2004. The Century of Artists’ Books. New edition. New York: Granary Books. Re John Latham, see pp. 361-62.
Books On Books 