The Irritated Book and the Hazardous Page

Karenjit Sandhu

Research output: Contribution to conferencePaper

Abstract

This paper explores the toxicity of paper, firstly in literature focusing on Umberto Eco’s ‘The Name of the Rose’. The toxic book is then examined in wider society from the discovery of arsenic-covered medieval books to poisonous personal library collections and the dangers of Victorian wallpaper. I outline my creative practice: an artist’s book containing allergens in the very fibres of its paper, presenting the book as a hazard to its allergic readers. I discuss my practice in relation to other conceptual artists including Ed Ruscha.
Original languageEnglish
Publication statusPublished - 10 Sept 2018

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