Slipping through the Net

'Slipping through the Net' is a small concertina book with a poem inspired by a failed attempt to get an appointment at an NHS GP surgery.

I wrote the text to illustrate the sense many people feel of being forgotten or disregarded, as the UK struggles with the decline in NHS services.

One side of the book was made by monoprinting a piece of scrim (loosely woven net) on cartridge paper. The other side was a monoprint of textures from Anaglypta wallpaper. The ink is a mix of Prussian Blue and Bone Black.

The text is Avenir 10pt and was inkjet printed on newsprint paper, then cut and glued into the pages. 

The book measures 6 x 48cm.

'Slipping through the Net' title page

'Slipping through the Net' inside

The poem inside reads:

when did it start

this slipping

a shift

quiet in its carelessness

a lapse

a miscalculation

an oversight

of my own omission

or theirs

and anonymity named me

as the net gently

tracelessly

let me through

World Book Night 2023

I'm delighted to be a contributor to World Book Night this year, held at UWE, Bower Ashton, Bristol. 

The theme is 'We Remember'; a collection of shared memories, building a whole new mood of collective remembering.

My two handmade artist books 'Shadow Locations I' and 'Shadow Locations II' have been added to the collection and, after the exhibitions, will be in the permanent library archive at Bower Ashton.

Each book briefly describes a memory I have of a place I visited as a child, but the memory is vague, with sketchy details. There is no-one alive who is able to confirm the accuracy of my memory. I find this fragility of mind an interesting concept.

There have been 112 entries from twenty five different countries.

The exhibition opens on Friday 21st April, in time for World Book Night on Sunday 23rd April, and will run until Friday 30th June. It will then transfer to the Hong Kong Design Institute from July 30th - 30th September.

The books can be viewed via Instagram or UWE:

https://www.instagram.com/lsp_books/

https://www.bookarts.uwe.ac.uk/news/#WBN2023

'Shadow Locations I & II'

Inside 'Shadow Locations I & II'

The Museum of Loss: The Life Story of Winifred Fifield

I've had another browse through all the files, scrolls and paperwork that my mother produced through her family history research and I came across this story about Winifred Fifield who was born in 1891.

It's an interesting story, not least because Winifred was a 'Bernardo's Child' and was sent to Canada to begin a new life. The reason's behind her departure, at the age of five, and the continuing story of her life are fascinating.

The story makes a fifth addition to the series 'The Museum of Loss', which is all about my family history.

The Life Story of Winifred Fifield

A 'Bernardo's' Child

2023

Cover: A6 inkjet printed on 175gsm Artcard in Real Grey

Inside: Inkjet printed on newsprint

 

BABE 2022

The Bristol Arts Book Event (BABE), is a handmade artists book fair held every two years in Bristol. It's `n exciting event, thoroughly well organised by Sarah Bodman, Angie Butler and Tom Sowdon from UWE.

A large number of stands displaying a huge variety of handmade books can be enjoyed, browsed, chatted about and bought. A number of talks and workshop activities are available over the two days. It's a free event open to the public.

I have attended as a stall holder before, but have visited many times to meet with 'my tribe' of people and gain inspiration to make more of my own books.

Historically, the fair has taken place at the Arnolfini gallery in Bristol city centre, but this year saw a relocation to the Bower Ashton campus at UWE. This gave more space, allowing a safer distance between stands, as well as easier parking and unloading.

It was a fabulous weekend! I was based in the printmaking department, which was a lovely meeting place for my bookwork and printmaking (www.ClareRogersPrintmaker.co.uk)

I enjoyed great interaction with UWE students, book artists and the public, explaining my concepts and processes. Sharing inspiring conversations with Jeremy Dixon, Timothy Shore, Chevington Press and Pressing Matters Magazine and others was a good way of expanding my interest and knowledge.

Now I have many new ideas and I'm already looking forward to 2024!!

BABE 2022

The Forgotten Song of the Regent Honeyeater

The Forgotten Song of the Regent Honeyeater handmade book was inspired by a news report about this critically endangered bird from Australia.

Young Regent Honeyeater songbirds learn their song from adult males. The song is used to attract females. A loss of habitat and a decline in numbers has meant there are fewer males passing on the song, leading the younger birds to pick up tunes from other species. The females are less likely to pair and nest with unfamiliar songbirds, causing an even greater decline for these beautiful songbirds.

Conservationists are playing recordings of their song to captive Regent Honeyeaters, hoping that they will re-learn their song and, on release, will sing, repeat, survive and thrive.

The eight books were made by stretching a large sheet of cartridge paper on a board, then painting decorative images of the birds in ink on one side. Once dry, I used ink and pen on the reverse, decorating with leaf, branch and stave motifs. After researching the story online, I wrote a poem about the story, which I printed on newsprint and glued into the 8 concertina books.

The Forgotten Song of the Regent Honeyeater Cover

12 x 12cm

Hand pained in Indian Ink on 170gsm cartridge paper 

and inkjet printed on newsprint.

The Forgotten Song of the Regent Honeyeater 

Inside

The Forgotten Song of the Regent Honeyeater by Clare Rogers

the language of the songbird

lullabies and love songs

chorus and canticle

black and gold

between the airwaves

spinning and weaving

sing and repeat

sing and repeat

a fragment leaving

a promise too rare

silently to its end

forgetting the song

as it crosses the sky

lost for words

rest and refrain

rest and refrain

leaves between fleeting

silence or melody

like a feather descending

we know the song

a call to the savers

the healers and hearers

return and rebound

return and rebound

Winter Comes

I wrote 'Winter Comes' in November 2021 and, with a few alterations, have now made it into a hand made artist book.

It was one of those pieces of writing that start off as a word or two or a line in my head, and then it grows to form something more solid and complete.

I chose the cover when I was looking through some monotype prints that I'd made a few months earlier. The ink colour of the prints wasn't as strong as I had hoped, but when scaled down to fit the A7 book covers, they gave a lovely pale, ethereal quality, especially when printed on  beautiful Japanese Hosho paper.

The papers on the inside are recycled packaging, hand-made craft paper, tissue paper and newsprint.

There are eight copies.

Cover: 'Winter Comes' 2022

Hand drawn title and tree on Hosho paper

Original monotype print on Hosho paper

Inside: 'Winter Comes' 2022

by Clare Rogers

Inkjet printed on newsprint.

Winter Comes

One of those still days

where the earth in respite,

rests its bones

and the loss of leaf is a reprieve,

for trees,

who sigh their last breath into

breathing space.

And the wind's intermission,

like time holding its breath, waits

as birds without song

on filigree branches

watch,

as the muted drizzle

rolls a veil over the year.

15: Ten views from the Windows and Doors in my House

This handmade book has been reworked from a piece of writing I made as part of a body of work 'From here you can almost see the sea: A response to living in Plymouth' in 2012.

The previous ten pieces of writing were individually framed, but I think they work better as a handmade book. The new title '15' refers to the house number.

Reworking the pieces from 10 years ago has given me an insight to some of the changes within the views; changes that have either been taken for granted or gone unnoticed. By using plain white copier paper, I have given a feel of anonymity; a feeling that the mundane views could relate to any housing estate across the country.

'15', 2022 cover

'15: 10 Views from the Windows and Doors of my House', 2022 

inside front cover

Inside

Inkject printed on 90gsm copier paper