Biblioteca veneziana

Biblioteca veneziana

Pattison, Todd

... found wooden tray, parchment, paper, adhesive... Many people think that carrying around an entire small library on an e-reader is a novel concept, made possible by modern technology. But portable libraries are not new; in previous centuries traveling libraries were housed in trunks or cases and provided access to books away from home. Comprising fourteen books in a miniature wooden box this piece is meant to reflect a 17th century Venetian merchant's traveling library. While traveling on business a merchant would have wanted books that related to his business, ones that he could read for pleasure and others that might relate to the area traveled in. The bindings are all limp paper or parchment to minimize the weight during travel. While there are examples of antique, traveling libraries in public and private collections, will an e-reader and its contents survive more than a few years? Will we be able to determine what books an individual or group thought important enough to carry with them? Even if we know the existence of the e-texts on specific devices we won't be able to determine use through notes, wear, provenance markings and other physical evidence.--Artist's website

2014

[Andover, MA] : Todd Pattison

Artists' books--Specimens

Miniature books--Specimens

English

14 volumes in a wooden box : illustrations 4 x 7 cm 1 twizzer

39362050814481

Art Limited Access Micro

N7433.4.P375 B53 2014