Fragments of Memory and Desire
Anna Corbett, UK
| Fragments of Memory
and Desire; Anna Corbett, Northumberland,
UK, 2013 This set of books is a compilation of fragments from contributors, found items and extracts from well-known poems. Each book contains different material, assembled from the same contributors and bound in a concertina form. Coming late to the project I needed help to meet the deadline, and decided to ask for help from my own 'coalition'. Contributors were asked to respond to the title 'Fragments of Memory and Desire' in any way they liked, bearing in mind the impetus for the project and its origins in al-Mutanabbi Street. Guidelines were to use paper that had been used before, so it would automatically have a 'memory'. Size was limited to no larger than a postcard. Each person was invited to send up to four items, either the same or different. Twenty-seven people took part, most sending 1 or 2 items, a few sending 3 or 4. There are stories of past events, some from childhood; significant book titles; poems composed specially; single words from favourite nursery rhymes; diary entries from the date of the bombing; some lists: of everyday delights, of family cats, of good things wished for; a note to the fishman and one from a lover; the bare bones of a long journey; a recipe to mend a broken heart; a thankyou letter and more. Found items were collected from old books, slipped between the pages years ago, with no way of knowing their origins. They include a telegram from 1937; a design sketch for a piece of machinery; a map of the maze at Hampton Court from an outing in 1878; a request for biscuits, toys and sweets written in a child's hand, perhaps a Christmas wish list? There is no way of knowing. Edition: 4; Size: 220 mm x 150 mm; Material: concertina binding tied with ribbon organicanna@phonecoop.coop |