Monday, July 8th, 2019:
Our new display Artstories, at ECA Library, Evolution House, features hand-made artists’ books and altered books, guest curated by Dr Pamela Harris Lawton, who holds a Fulbright Scotland Visiting Professorship with IASH.
Artstories UK is a research project examining the learning that takes place between participants making art together. Through narrative co-inquiry around a specific concept, participants learn art skills, build relationships, and find common ground through critical conversation on themes of human experience during the art-making process.
The artist’s books on display represent three different artstories events: a collaborative altered book created by Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities visiting scholars on the concept of feminism using feminist texts; 3 altered books exploring the concept of belonging created in the art studio classroom at Moray House School of Education with PhD students Jing Xu and Qinhan [Cate] Chen, Dr Denitsa Petrova [ECA] and Pamela Harris Lawton; 9 handmade books relating personal narratives and reflections on living a purposeful life by young people aged 13-18 in the SCOREscotland program [strengthening communities for race equality in Scotland] : Ayisha Ba, Priya Roy, Zakaria Hamraoui, Hala Hatim, Alaa Ali, Maxwell Pena, Tifney Aheimbisibue, Momina Mizra and Mariem Ndiaye.
Strengthening Communities for Race Equality Scotland (SCOREscotland) is a voluntary organisation serving the minority ethnic communities in the West of Edinburgh. The organisation strives to eliminate racism in our society by working for and with those who are affected by racial discrimination.
Dr Lawton, EdDCTA, MFA, is Associate Professor in the Department of Art Education at Virginia Commonwealth University Arts, and is a 2019 Tate Modern Exchange Associate.
The exhibition will close on 1st August.
artists’ books
Entropie Books display at ECA Library
We are very pleased to announce the opening of our new display, of beautiful bookworks by Entropie Books, at ECA Library, Evolution House, West Port.
Curated by Barbara A. Morton, this display of artists’ books and fine bindings explores ways in which the book form can become a thoughtful space for poetry and creative writing. The display will run to 27th May.
All images courtesy of Barbara A. Morton.
Pausing Place: Thomas A. Clark display at ECA Library
January 2019:
We are delighted to announce that our new library display features works by Thomas A. Clark, and has been curated by Laurie Clark and Thomas A. Clark, of Cairn Gallery and Moschatel Press. The display opened at ECA Library, Evolution House, West Port, on Wednesday 9th January 2019, and will continue until 21st March 2019.
For information about the work of Thomas A. Clark please see https://www.scottishpoetrylibrary.org.uk/poet/thomas-clark/
The Walk is the Art
We are very pleased to announce the opening of our new display of artists’ books in ECA Library, curated by Laurie Clark and Thomas A. Clark. This latest presentation in a series, features work by walking artist Hamish Fulton from the Clark’s archive.
Hans Waanders display at ECA Library
Monday 9th April 2018:
We are delighted to announce the opening of our new artists’ books display, curated by Laurie Clark and Thomas A. Clark, of Moschatel Press.
The display features works by Hans Waanders (1951-2001) from the Clarks’ archive, and is located on level 1 of the ECA Library at Evolution House, West Port, Edinburgh.
We feel particularly fortunate and grateful to be able to show these wonderful bookworks and cards from the Clarks’ own collection. Waanders had an affinity with Scotland and spent several happy visits here as he travelled all over Europe in search of his beloved kingfishers.
To find out more about the ECA Library artists’ books collection please see https://artistsbooksinscotland.wordpress.com/

Poor.Old.Tired.Horse.
We are delighted to announce the opening of our new display in ECA Library, curated by Laurie Clark and Thomas A. Clark. The display features issues of the 1960s visual poetry magazine “Poor.Old.Tired.Horse.” by Ian Hamilton Finlay, alongside works by Finlay from the Clark’s own collection.
We are really pleased to have been able to host this latest in a series of displays curated by the Clarks.
You can find out more about their work at pagesandwalls.com
You can see more of Poor.Old.Tired.Horse. at Ubuweb.
Finding artists' books at ECA Library
It is now even easier to find out which artists’ books are kept at ECA Library! Simply use this link to go to a complete list of all the artists’ books in the collection, on DiscoverEd, the library catalogue. You can sort the list by artist or year, and browse to your heart’s content!
There is more information about constructing searches here.
The Library has around 1500 artists’ books dating from 1964 to the present day, including artists such as Ed Ruscha, Lawrence Weiner, Hans Waanders, Ian Hamilton Finlay, Helen Douglas, Susie Leiper, Thomas A Clark and Laurie Clark, and Redfoxpress.
For more information about artists’ books in Scotland visit the directory compiled by the Scottish Visual Arts Group.

New display of artworks and books at ECA Library
Our new artists’ books display on level 1 of ECA Library, Evolution House, has been curated by artist Laurie Clark and poet Thomas A. Clark, of Moschatel Press.
The display features artworks and books by David Bellingham, exploring measurement, colour, and journeys.
For more information please see pagesandwalls.com
The display will continue until 15th January 2018.


Free artists' bookmarks at ECA Library!
Bookmarks XV 2017 – 2018:
Bookmarks XV is the fifteenth and final outing of the Bookmarks series from University of West of England, Bristol, UK. Part I of the free artwork distribution series launched in 2004 and has since visited 159 galleries, bookstores, workshops, centres, schools, museums and libraries in: Australia, Brazil, Canada, Croatia, Cuba, Cyprus, Denmark, Egypt, France, Germany, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Japan, The Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Singapore, Spain, South Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Turkey, the UK and USA, including ECA!
The series grew out of an aim to encourage appreciation and awareness of artists working in the book format. Participating artists each produced an edition of 100 signed and numbered bookmarks which were divided into 100 sets; one full set being sent to each of the contributing artists and the rest divided and sent out in distribution boxes to host venues around the world, such as libraries, for visitors to discover.
Since 2004, 598 artists have contributed 59,800 bookmarks to the project. Each bookmark is stamped with the current project’s website address, which directs the taker of the bookmark to the gallery section of the website. Visitors can view works by the artists and contact contributors via their website and email links on the site. As interest in artists’ books practice has grown internationally over the years, the bookmarks projects have now reached a natural conclusion.
Bookmarks XV will visit ten venues from September 2017 – February 2018 in Germany, New Zealand, Sweden, the UK and USA. The final set has 54 artists and groups who have sent their bookmarks from Australia, Canada, Germany, Hawaii, Italy, Sweden the UK and USA. For more information please visit: http://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk
Pop into ECA Library to pick up your free bookmark!

Forthcoming exhibition: Laurie Clark bookworks
We are delighted to announce that poet, illustrator and book artist Laurie Clark will be our special guest exhibitor later this summer! Laurie Clark is a well known book artist based in Scotland, and one half of the genius behind Moschatel Press, and the Cairn Gallery, Pittenweem, along with partner Thomas A. Clark, poet.
ECA Library holds several works by Laurie Clark, such as the exquisite 100 Harebells (2012), and 100 Buttercups (2010), artist’s books, and many works by Moschatel Press such as A Box of Landscapes, (2010, and 2016).
We look forward to welcoming Laurie to ECA Library, Evolution House, and will post images and information about the exhibition later in the summer.

Reproduction of a painting of Adoxa moschatellina by the Swedish botanist C. A. M. Lindman (1856–1928), taken from his book Bilder ur Nordens Flora.
[Sourced from Wikimedia Commons.]