2024
Brick, electrical elements, paper
Dimensions variable

Loss of libraries, loss of knowledge and loss of community hubs were the impetus behind this sculpture.

I highlight the multi-functionality and changing role of libraries and the interplay with communities. Many libraries have closed and others are under the threat of closure. I collaborated with Wallasey Central Library (WCL)  in my hometown - which was under the threat of closure but thankfully has not only been saved but is being renovated.

Seemingly mundane objects left behind in library books at WCL highlight the significance of these abandoned artefacts as traces of individuals. What was found within the pages of returned library books included bookmarks, ticket stubs, and a netball scorecard. Flyers for events held at WCL are also concealed within the paper folds and this bears witness to the scope of libraries beyond books on shelves. Scottish-American industrialist and philanthropist Andrew Carnegie funded 660 libraries, including WCL, in the UK and Ireland and this is referenced by way of the type of paper fold known as the Victorian Purse.

The sculpture incorporates copies of books of historical and contemporary significance: Lucretius’ - On The Nature Of The Universe; Giorgio Varsari - The Lives Of Artists; and Katy Hessel’s - The Story Of Art Without Men.