Sunday, November 16, 2014

Peace in Ypres...

Barry and I are fortunate to have been able to travel to Ieper in Belgium (in Flanders Fields...) to attend the opening of the exhibition "Pieces for Peace".

Barry and I both entered books, along with fellow artists Susan Bowers and Helen Malone.  A calligraphic friend Olive Bull in Tasmania, also entered a book and as far as we know that is the Australian contingent - altho we will be looking for more!

Here are Susan's, Barry's and my book together before we packed and posted them to travel across the world to the site of so much death and destruction in World War I. It is a beautiful thing to realise that the books in the exhibition are all contributions to peace; they are from across the globe and they are saying to us all - may there be peace and no more war.


Before we came away I printed more of my "Flanders Poppies" prints and wrote and made four more "Peace in your Pocket" books. This time I wrote peace in English, French, Flemish and German - the languages spoken around Flanders then and now.  Along with "peace is every step' I hope to share these gifts of peace with people we meet and those who have organised the exhibition and helped us out.



The opening was a gala event and we were made to feel very welcome. There are some wonderful pieces - both books and calligraphy - and the Aussie contingent looks right at home.

Here are Helen and Olive's books, and some fragments of some of my favourites ....



Juergen Vercaemst of Belgium

Torsten Kolle from Germany

Juergen Vercaemst from Belgium in a different book

Inge Vos from the Netherlands

A special exhibition and a special,opportunity to view it.  We have also been re-tracing the final day of my gr-grandfather in WWI and it has been special for that as well...

8 comments:

  1. So glad you've arrived safely in Europe. These selected images are beautiful. Please let me know if there is an exhibition catalogue as this looks like a memorable collection of responses. I love the look of the piece by Torsten Kolle in particular. Best wishes for the rest of your trip.

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    1. Thanks Lesley, we are slowly adjusting but at the same time have dived right in! The exhibition is lovely and the catalogue beautiful, I think it cost 18 euro. I'll check how it is possible to buy one...we are now in Brugge and loving the calligraphy. Go well.

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  2. Replies
    1. The room was filled with hopes for peace, and we are sharing bits around as we can...

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  3. Congrats to all of you... and for creating such wonderful books too.

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    1. Thanks Donna the books are all so beautiful and thoughtful, the show is great. So many beautiful pieces for peace...

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  4. The fragments of calligraphy look beautiful Fiona and congrats for the inclusion of your book on the invitation. Disappointed about the display of my book, flat on its back and closed, not even standing showing the full cover - hope your book and Susan's have been treated more sympathetically in the display.

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    1. Hi Helen. I think your book may have been viewed as a hybrid - a bound artist book - and as the show mostly about the bindings, it got shown like the traditional books. A hard call for them to make perhaps., most of the traditional bindings only showed the front cover. It will get the chance to shine at Personal Histories I am sure!

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