Yesterday, Len, Shirley and I escaped the studio and went on an adventure to Manly. It was an adventure because we went on the ferry. Very exciting! Our destination was even more exciting: the 2023 Artists Book Award exhibition at Manly Art Gallery and Museum.

Here at Len’s Journal, books are our passion alongside photography and other creative endeavors. The Artists Book Award is a combination of all these things. The books are handmade and are superb works of art. Each one carefully conceived, thought through and produced. One of the most inspiring collections of work we’ve been to see this year.

The exhibition closes this Sunday, 16th April. If you are in Sydney (or close) it is well worth adventuring to Manly to have a look in person.

If you can’t make it, you can get a taster of the exhibition through this video, but the works really are awesome closeup:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIefuPW8DqA

We spent the whole morning perusing the displays and trying to work out how they were made and the techniques used. Yes, inspiring, but also perhaps, a little intimidating, they were all so good!

Here is a link to the gallery:

https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/things-to-do/whats-on/2023-artists-book-award-exhibition

If you are not able to make it to Manly by Sunday, there is an opportunity to see another exhibition of artists books previously acquired by the Northern Beaches Libraries. On until 30th April 2023. See link below for further details:

https://www.northernbeaches.nsw.gov.au/library/whats-on/all-library-events/artists-book-collection-on-display

Photograph copyright © Clair Reynolds 2023