I seem to have got into the habit of only posting long-form posts here - reasonably long blog posts of 1200+ words. This is not a bad thing, but it has had the effect of making me shy away from posting here if I don’t have something of a similar size. The result is long periods of radio silence between lengthy monologues, and apparently I’m laconic enough as it is. Anyway I’m changing that, and I’m going to post some shorter-form posts such as this one.
I’m not stopping writing long-form posts, I’ll just be interspersing some short-form posts between them so that you know that I’m still alive and because a post doesn’t have to be long in order to be interesting.
Explanation aside, the photo above is my reading pile that lives on the floor behind my desk chair. Strictly speaking, it’s one of my reading piles: for books related to my art practice (my novels/fiction reading pile is entirely digital these days, and is even larger).
I tend to dip in-and-out of these books when I have the time, seeking inspiration and ideas, although sometimes I do go in for a marathon reading session.
And sometimes, like today, I look at it and wonder if I’m ever going to get the time to read all of them. When thoughts like that strike me there’s only one thing to do: order a couple more books, which is what I’ve just done.
For those interested, the pile consists of (in no particular order):
- Macfarlane, R., Donwood, S., & Richards, D. (). Holloway. London: Faber and Faber.
- Cope, J. (). The modern antiquarian: A pre-millennial odyssey through megalithic Britain: Including a gazetteer to over 300 prehistoric sites. London: Thorsons.
- Fréger, C. (). Wilder mann: The image of the savage. Stockport: Dewi Lewis Pub.
- Petherbridge, D. (). Witches & wicked bodies. Edinburgh: National Galleries of Scotland.
- Townshend, D. (). Terror and wonder: The gothic imagination. London: The British Library.
- Hyde, L. (). Trickster makes this world: Mischief, myth, and art. New York: Farrar, Straus and Giroux.
- Hunt, N., Kingsnorth, P., & Wheeler, S. (Ed.). (). Dark Mountain, issue 6 Autumn 2014. Dark Mountain Project.
- Ronnberg, A. (Ed.). (). The book of symbols. Köln: Taschen.
- Curcio, J. (Ed.). (). The immanence of myth.Guildford: Weaponized.
- Miller, S.J. (). Metadata for digital collections: A how-to-do-it manual. London: Facet Publishing.
- Grabowski, B., & Fick, B. (). Printmaking: A complete guide to materials & processes. London: Laurence King.
- Smith, A. (). Etching: A guide to traditional techniques. Ramsbury: Crowood.
- Dyson, A. (). Printmakers' secrets. London: A & C Black.
- Adam, R., & Robertson, C. (). Intaglio: Acrylic-resist etching, collagraphy, engraving, drypoint, mezzotint: The complete safety-first system for creative printmaking. New York: Thames & Hudson.
- Spare, A. (). Austin Osman Spare: The life & legend of London's lost artist. Devizes: Strange Attractor.
- Coombs, N. (Ed.). (). Patricide seven: Surrinema. Rhos-on-Sea: Dark Windows Press.
- Woods, L. (). The printmaking handbook. Tunbridge Wells: Search.
- Bartrum, G. (). Dürer. London: The British Museum Press.
- Roob, A. (). Alchemy & mysticism: The hermetic museum. Köln: Taschen.
- PK (). BibliOdyssey: Archival images from the Internet. London: Fuel.
- Wallace, W. (). Austin Osman Spare: The artist's books 1905-1927. Thame: Mandrake Press Ltd.
- McKean, D. (). Pictures that tick 2. Milwaukie: Dark Horse Comics.
- Tomlinson, J. (). Francisco Goya y Lucientes, 1746-1828. London: Phaidon.