Babel (2019)

Babel (2019)
Lizzie Brewer
Box: H278 x W158 mm. Leporello: Closed H195 x W97 mm. Open 825 mm. 14 panels. Unique edition. Acquired from the artist, 14 February 2023.
Photos: Books On Books Collection and courtesy of the artist.

Inspired by a 2019 exhibition at the Scuola Internazionale di Grafica in Venice, Lizzie Brewer created this work that sculpturally explores the border between image and letters. The laser-cut letters and words in black calligraphy from various languages (Farsi, Chinese, Kufic, Arabic, English, Greek, Japanese, etc.) seem to pour off the pages of a white leporello. Recalling the tower with which the Babylonians dared to reach heaven (Genesis 11:9), the multiple languages and randomness of the script accentuate the disorder visited on humankind when God decided they were being blasphemous.

Whatever Ur language preceded those languages is lost in the blackness of the cloud of ink from which the texts seem to rain. And perhaps the blackness also implies the punitive nature of the Old Testament deity. The leporello and calligraphy should certainly remind us of the pre-codex and pre-typesetting time of the story.

Some of the letters and words, all made from 150gms black Canford paper, are attached to the white 220gms cartridge panels, some are left free to be leaned against the panels or puddled in front, adding to the watery effect of the thinning black India ink in the background.

Library of Babel (2019)

Library of Babel (2019)
Lizzie Brewer
Leaflet. H210 x W105 mm. Acquired from the artist, 14 February 2023.
Photos: Books On Books Collection. Displayed with artist’s permission.

With its hand-printed title, gold leaf mark and insert, this folded leaflet of hand-made paper made its appearance in an exhibition at the Westminster Reference Library in 2019. The quotation in the insert comes from the “The Library of Babel” by Jorge Luis Borges, and the phrase “[t]his set of works” refers to several of Brewer’s striking sculptures in homage to the story. These works are not in the Books On Books Collection (yet?), but these images (courtesy of the artist) are too complementary to the works above to be overlooked.

Hexagon (2019)
“The Universe (which others call the library) is composed of an indefinite, perhaps infinite number of hexagonal galleries” — Borges “The Library of Babel”

410 pages (2019) and detail
“Each book contains four hundred and ten pages.” — Borges, “The Library of Babel”

Lead Page (2019)

Untitled [Labyrinth] (2019)

Further Reading

“Sean Kernan“. 23 February 2013. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Ines von Ketelhodt“. 1 February 2021. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Peter Malutzki“. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Aurélie Noury“. 9 November 2020. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Hanna Piotrowska (Dyrcz)“. 13 December 2019. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Benjamin Shaykin“. 3 December 2022. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Rachel Smith“. In progress. Books On Books Collection. For another homage to Borges.

“Sam Winston“. 18 May 2023. Books On Books Collection. For another related alphabet work.

Frate, Kathryn Shank. 2019. “Tower of Babel Exhibit“. Scuola Internazionale di Grafica, Venice. Accessed 28 June 2023.

Basile, Jonathan. 2015~. The Library of Babel. Website. Accessed 3 July 2023.