A Flying Visit

 Last week Barry and I took off again! From having been nowhere for years, we have flown to Scotland and back, Melbourne and back and now Mackay and back in just under three months. All feels a bit odd.

We headed to Mackay to view the Libris Awards - The Australian Artists' Book prize.

We knew we hadn't won but we did want to see our books and view the others in the show and get a lovely fill me up of artists books.

However.

On arrival, we found this!

Part of me thought it was hilarious that we had travelled that far, and my book wasn't there. Part of me was astounded. Part of me hoped it was nearby somewhere.

And it was. The Council had purchased it to add to its Artists' Book Collection, and it was out the back having an archival box made for it. We went out the back to view the box making and then were able to have it taken back out into the show so that I could see it in situ. Phew. 

I am thrilled that the book has a new home in a collection where people will be able to view it and discuss the issues I was trying to respond to with it. The Gallery runs a "speed date the collection" event once month I think, where items from the collection are brought out and you can spend time with one, then move on to the next and so on, each time talking with somebody who knows about the object and can explain things. A brilliant idea I thought.

Barry's book was under glass, but they had changed the spread a few times so a different page was able to be viewed.

A flying visit like this one didn't really honour the the city, but we really liked the art deco and art nouveau buildings and lettering that we saw. And the big blue sky!

And the burning sky on the flight home.