Altered+Books

//Outside of a dog, a book is man's best friend. Inside of a dog it's too dark to read.// ~Groucho Marx

Books have always been converted and subverted. Literature and print have inspired many artists and artisans to explore and express their creativity with convergence and, indeed, conversion of media.

A prized item of historical realia in the State Library of Victoria collection includes Mrs Butters' 'Press' Dress, a rare silk dress created for a costume ball in 1866, printed with the front pages of Melbourne newspapers. [|http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/collections/treasures/press_dress/pressdress1.html]

Altered books is an increasingly popular area of contemporary craft practice and usually maintains "the bones" of the book structure.

The references on this page and discussions also demonstrate books used in contemporary art and design practice.

[|http://www.offbeatearth.com/dont-like-reading-other-uses-for-books]

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[|http://mprg.mornpen.vic.gov.au]