Artists’ books by Bridget Cole
Bower Ashton Campus, UWE Bristol
Kennel Lodge Road,
Bristol BS3 2JT
14th September - 5th October 2007
As an artist I am driven to find new and innovative ways of creating and displaying my work. Over the past few years I have been inspired by the concept of artists’ books as a creative and interesting way of producing artworks and consequently have created a number as part of my work as a mixed media artist. My art is inspired by my interest in the formal aspects of artwork and I enjoy experimenting using mixed media into the relationships between line, tone, texture etc. Another increasingly strong componentwhich informs my artwork is my concern over contemporary cultural and ethical issues and bringing these to the viewers’ attention either explicitly or implicitly by association
My most recent body of work is informed by the issue of slavery both historically and in contemporary society and which has played a major role in the culture of Bristol which as a main English port was a significant part of the slave trade and subsequently part of my own background as I was born and grew up there.
I consider artists’ books to be a tactile as well as visual, easily accessible and portable form of artwork which can be used to engage the viewers’ attention and encourage them to interact and make physical contact with my artwork and therefore provide a way of enforcing awareness of the issues contained within the work. I particularly enjoy using recycled materials and incorporating collaged elements using a wide range of materials including metal, wood and fabrics etc. to provide as wide and interesting an experience as possible for the viewer. This collection of individually unique books includes books which recount the history of slavery and some incorporate copies of official factual records of Bristol’s slave trade as well as works which relate to international slavery today.
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