Su Blackwell 'Book Sculptures'

Product Information

I am moving house next year, moving out of London to be by the sea, and so I’m not taking on any big projects for 2016. Rather, I’m working on commissions for book sculptures, am exploring the possibility of an animation project, and will be exhibiting some dress installations in Museum Sinclair near Hamburg in Autumn 2016, which I’m really excited about. I take my inspiration from fairytales and folklore and use these well-known tales as conduits for modern-day experiences. I often search for stories that relate to my life, whether that be Little Red Riding Hood meeting the big bad wolf or a princess given an impossible task of spinning straw (or in my case ‘words’) into gold, as in the Brother Grimm’s story “Rumplestiltskin. “The themes I explore have a universal appeal, and overall, there is a sense of hope pervading the works. Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world. Su employs this delicate, accessible medium and uses irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions. I have honed these skills over the years, but I think they were skills that were always there. I have always been very imaginative. As a child, I was given a lot of freedom, freedom to be by myself and make up stories and games. I think that’s important for children.

A project for The Bronte Parsonage Museum, Haworth, West Yorkshire: working in the Bronte’s bedroomTell us about your childhood; what did you do for fun and what did you want to be when you were growing up?

Where do you find the books you use for your art and do they always inform the narratives you create? The first book sculpture I made was using a book called The Quiet American which I bought on the Kao San Road during a month long trip to Thailand in 2003. It had beautiful, pictorial Thai inscriptions in the margin, and this provoked me to think about the book’s history, and how I could turn it into something tangible, and give it extra dimension above and beyond the text. any applicable law relating to the processing of personal Data, including but not limited to the GDPR, and any national implementing and supplementary laws, regulations and secondary legislation;I think stories were an integral part of my growing up, I could identify with the characters in the books that I read. They opened up possibilities outside of my normal life. At school, I always felt like an outsider, looking in. Right to object – the right to object to our use of your Data including where we use it for our legitimate interests. Paper has been used for communication since its invention; either between humans or in an attempt to communicate with the spirit world,” Su says. “I employ this delicate, accessible medium and use irreversible, destructive processes to reflect on the precariousness of the world we inhabit and the fragility of our life, dreams and ambitions.”

For the cut-out illustrations, I tend to lean towards young-girl characters, placing them in haunting, fragile settings, expressing the vulnerability of childhood, while also conveying a sense of childhood anxiety and wonder. There is a quiet melancholy in the work, depicted in the material used, and choice of subtle colour.” For the people and experience, it was probably a project I worked on in Jakarta, Indonesia, where I art-directed a music video. It was a huge project with a low budget, but it is such a different culture out there, they made it seem like anything was possible. There were no health and safety issues at all, you just came up with a crazy idea and they made it a reality. After we finished filming, everyone (cast and crew) went around hugging and thanking each other. It was really beautiful. Right to access – the right to request (i) copies of the information we hold about you at any time, or (ii) that we modify, update or delete such information. If we provide you with access to the information we hold about you, we will not charge you for this, unless your request is “manifestly unfounded or excessive.” Where we are legally permitted to do so, we may refuse your request. If we refuse your request, we will tell you the reasons why. Illustrations for The Fairy Tale Princesses for ‘Thames and Hudson’ (Thames and Hudson Books, 2012) You must have an amazing imagination, great vision and incredible concentration to create such magical works. Are these traits that come naturally or are they skills that you’ve worked to develop over the years?Tell us about some of the amazing projects you’ve done in the past. Which ones have you most enjoyed?

Unless otherwise agreed, no delay, act or omission by a party in exercising any right or remedy will be deemed a waiver of that, or any other, right or remedy.I liked making my own entertainment and was happiest playing on my own in a small bit of woodland at the end of the cul de sac where I grew up in Sheffield. I built dens, climbed trees and imagined different Worlds. I dreamt of being an art student, but I didn’t dream of being a working artist, that just wasn’t in my vocabulary as a child. I remember going to the careers advisor at school, and saying I wanted to do something creative, and I think they suggested teaching. I didn’t have a formal art training until I was 20, and before that I used to paint and draw and keep scrapbooks from cut out pictures in magazines that captured my attention. I’m relaxed when I’m working, and when I’m not working for a period of time, I start to feel anxious. Su has reimagined seven classic fairy tales; Vasilisa the Brave, Aschenputtel, Beauty and the Beast, Donkeyskin, The Six Swans, The Red Shoes and Bluebeard, rewriting the stories for an adult audience and choosing tales that offer her readers a sense of hope and enlightenment. I especially love fairy tales, they are part of the national psyche and have such a universal appeal. I’m particularly drawn to European fairy tales by Hans Christian Andersen and The Brothers Grimm. These stories have been with me since I can remember. Fairy tales work on so many levels, therefore they are an endless pot of inspiration. Each working day can be quite different from the last, and each day brings with it new challenges. I never know what the next project that comes through into my inbox is going to be, and that keeps it exciting. About 70% of the projects proposed to me, don’t make it into reality. You get quite good at being able to tell which ones will make it, but there are some surprises. Work has taken me to places I wouldn’t normally have travelled to. Recently I was invited to work on a big project in Kuwait City.