Insects as Book Eaters
Tradition goes that booklovers have a fraught relationship with insects, as booklice are known to happily munch away on the paste that is used in binding. However, one bookbinder has decided to extend the hand of friendship to insects and let them positively devour his works. Mark Cockram has spent this summer smearing books with Bovril and burying them in the garden of his studio, as he is fascinated with the process of returning paper back to the earth, and he delights in the homes and meals that insects make of his books.
The unearthed books will be on display over the course of Pestival 2009. Read more of Mark’s book-burying experiments on his blog here.
Racine Art Museum, 441 Main Street, Racine, Wisconsin 18/04/10 
Palm House, Kew Gardens, London 29/05/10 
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