End of The Line

LIKE a first trip to a big library, Endnotes: Enwrapping Books is a treasure hunt of an exhibition in which the visitor blindly stumbles around the building, bombarded by code and colour, until eventually the prize prevails, and the treasure that most scintillates your sensibilities is unearthed. Taking donated books that have reached the end of their shelf life at Oxford Central Library, 16 artists translate the written word, making it tangible through a mixture of fine art, dance, music, and animation. Joining forces with Oxford Central Library and other artists linked to the county, Oxford-based artist/curators Diane Jones-Parry and Annabel Ralphs (Metron) set out to draw attention to the crucial role of books and libraries. Thirty books were randomly selected by Oxford Central Library, and distributed (unseen) among the artists. They included out-of-date law books, PC manuals, adult education listings and overlooked novels. The artists were asked to work in any way they chose. Upon entering the gallery, the visitor is handed a booklet to accompany the exhibition. In an increasingly digitalised world, the booklet, a work of art in itself, reminds us of the joy of the physical object. Visually beautiful, it immediately submerges the reader in the wonderful world of Dewey decimalism. Each work in the exhibition has a Dewey decimal classification that requires the visitor to reference the booklet in order to link the title of the book that inspired the art, the author of the book, and the artist’s name. Including books such as Landlord and Tenant Law, to Teach Yourself PCs in 24 Hours, the subject matter is at times less than thrilling; conversely, the exhibition itself, and the work generated by artists able to identify the interesting and re-write the page, is quite enthralling. The exhibition sheds light to the large percentage of outwardly boring books encased within the walls of local libraries – each book has a life, a purpose. Laurence Halstead’s impeccably composed film presents an amusing take on his struggle to read and, quite literally, digest his book, Scimitar SL-2. Another softly satirical piece is Sharon Yntema’s response to Vegetarian Baby. Her lines of pre-prepared jam jars filled with the bland concoction of cellulose, rice flour and water poke fun at the middle-class, pseudo-hippy, obsessive mum-to-be. Perhaps you’ll encounter a title that you recognise, or even own. Joanna Gilmore has wrapped snippets of text from The Rough Guide to Hawaii around the plinth upon which her work is placed. Once upon a time I read this book from cover to cover and could probably have recited parts of it, if pushed. Many of the books are reference materials, which, by their very nature, will become obsolete. As such, this exhibition is as much an exercise in social anthropology as it is visual art or literature. Like any good book, this exhibition requires your time and attention; but it’s a fun, informative, and compelling read, and definitely one worth bringing up at book club. l The exhibition continues until Sunday