a busy day at Camberwell – the midpoint review on the MA Book Art is a labyrinthine exercise of Kafkaesque qualities (this is for all courses) with students having their work looked at and spoken about without responding, notes are made by a chosen scribe, tutors chair but try not to lead the discussion and because of all this actual learning takes place. this is a more rigorous, enriching process for the students with a focus on their work rather than the endless explanations that often support poor work and the dragging down of the average crit – the books have to stand on their own. there was a number of exciting starting points for discussion - an interesting idea about books finding their role – often falling between specific genres, strong performative possibilities present within the work, looking at the reader becoming performer - performing the work, the book as an instrument or tool to unlock or have a purpose, building a personal (individual) dictionary of touch and its possible non-uses. again some excellent work has created and it all looks good for the future– i am looking forward to the answers to whats next?
