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Our new display explores journeys to islands both real and imaginary, centering on Voyage Boxed: sea journeys, island hopping & trans-oceanic concepts, by Imi Maufe and others, (2014), and including in addition, an Atlas of Remote Islands, by Judith Schalansky (2010), The Fascinating secrets of oceans and islands, (Reader’s Digest Association, 1972) Archipelago: an atlas of imagined islands, by Huw Lewis-Jones (2019) and Dreaming the Gokstadt: northern lands and islands, Thomas Joshua Cooper, (1988).
Our display at ECA Library focuses on book works by artist Jane Hyslop, including a recent acquisition: The Oak Tree: a tribute to eternity.
Jane Hyslop: The Oak Tree: a tribute to eternity
Inspired by Virginia Woolf’s novel Orlando, a biography, and spanning over 700 years, The Oak Tree: a tribute to eternity weaves historical and contemporary fact with fiction, and marks the pivotal point at which we now find ourselves in the face of climate change and declining biodiversity. It follows Woolf’s groundbreaking novel in drawing attention to the very moment of the present, while urging us to look to the future.
Taking the form of an imagined visual edition of the manuscript the eponymous character writes throughout the novel, the artist’s book is accompanied by an introduction and notes written in collaboration with Professor Bryony Randall.
Other works featured in the display include Edinburgh: a visual handbook, 2007, and An Experiment, 2010.
We are delighted to introduce the 2023 Bookmarks Prizewinners in the exhibition at ECA Library, Evolution House, West Port, 3rd April – 12th May 2024.
Works by Charlene Scott, Innes Clark and Daisy Whittle
During the 2023 Graduate show a panel was tasked to select a group of students who demonstrated in their work an appreciation of the book and an ambitious approach to using it within their practice.
These Prizewinners were then invited to return to ECA and showcase their work at Bookmarks 2024, and now a selection of their work can be viewed at ECA Library.
ECA Library is delighted to host a new display featuring works by Julie Johnstone of Essence Press, and Alan Shipway, painter. Julie has long been drawn to the painter Agnes Martin (1912-2004). For this project she decided to address her interest in Agnes Martin directly, in order to see the body of work that might result when Martin’s life and work ‘met’ her own practice. She was interested in asking what it was that draws us to a particular painter or work of art – that affinity or resonance one feels – and how one might be inspired by that. Also on display are two watercolours by Alan Shipway who is also an admirer of Agnes Martin.
The show is open now until the end of February 2024.
Please do come along to ECA Library, level 1 of Evolution House, West Port, to take a look at our 3 display cabinets and the wonderful works inside.
NB: Evolution House is open to the public Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 4.45pm only. Sometimes our reception needs to close over lunchtime, at short notice, so please either phone ahead to check the building is open or arrive between 9am and 12, or 2pm and 4pm. You can reach ECA Library on 0131 651 5700. Thank you!
The ECA Library artists’ books collection includes an extensive range of bookworks by Julie Johnstone and the Essence Press. This display features fourteen works from 2006 to 2020.
We have Black History Month new books displays at ECA Library, Evolution House, and at the Main Library, George Square, for everyone to enjoy this month.
In this in-person event, Dr Elizabeth Williams, cultural historian and leader of the Academic Support Librarian team, will be in conversation with six outstanding University of Edinburgh academics and commentators: Dr. Gwenetta D. Curry, Dr Omolabake Fakunle, Dr Nicola Frith, Sharon Boateng, Dr Simon Buck, and Rachel Hosker.
Black History Month book displays at ECA Library, October 2023.
From 8th September until 7th November 2023 we were delighted to host sidereal. the afterimage, presenting a selection of work from ~ sidereal. the afterimage, by Barbara A. Morton of Entropie Books.
sidereal. the afterimage
sidereal. the afterimage
~ sidereal. the afterimage is a new chapter of creative composition by Barbara A Morton.
The exhibition takes its title from the distinctive signature piece ~ sidereal. the
afterimage which achieves an extension of intention and originality in the
expression of poetry, book-making, drawing, and design.
The accompanying pieces, likewise, demonstrate ambition and creative reach,
both technically and imaginatively, and serve to maintain and develop Barbara’s
ongoing purpose of bringing poetry and poetic text to its aesthetic and accurate
environment ~ to encourage the reader to look, and to encourage the viewer to
read. To look closely. To look again. To look ~ for longer.
The show was at ECA Library, Evolution House (level 1), West Port, Edinburgh, until noon on 7th November 2023. Evolution House is open to the public Monday – Friday, 9.00am – 4.45pm.
Award winning artist, poet and letterpress printer, and founder of Stichill Marigold Press, Len McDermid sadly died last week, and we pay tribute to him at ECA Library with a display of the work we hold by him in the ECA Library artists’ books collection.
We were honoured to host a tribute exhibition in 2021, Fair Winds and Following Seas, curated by book artist Barbara A Morton, and we loved and respected Len and enjoyed working with him.
We are delighted that Norwegian artist Kjersti Sletteland has been announced as the winner of the 2023 RSA Annual ECA Library Prize. Kjersti wins a one year free borrowing membership to the ECA Library collections, which is part of the University of Edinburgh Libraries.
Well done Kjersti!
You can find out more here.
