Shining Orchid

Research Background During the past decade many artists have researched the concepts and material form of the artist's book. Artists' books that maintain the traditional structure of a book are often known as book art or bookworks, while those that reference the shape of a book are known as book objects.The Artist's book is a highly inventive, relevant art form that is constantly evolving, the artist Mathew Barney is exploring the book form in contemporary art. Peter Ellis has produced both book objects and Artist's books as unique and as editioned works since 1975. Research Significance The Academy Gallery at the Tasmanian College of the Arts, Uni. Tas. Is dedicated to the pursuit and achievement of excellence by exhibiting contemporary art and design of the highest order that has the capacity to be insightful, challenging and rewarding to a wide cross section of our community. The Gallery has a peer review Gallery Committee. This exhibition curated by Gallery Director, Malcom Bywaters, showcases Artist's Books as a celebration of the varied use of the artist's book on the creative sensibility in a contemporary situation. It shows the complexity and potential for what constitutes a book, in contemporary art practice. Research Contribution The work "Shining Orchid" reinterprets one of the most ancient forms of the book, the concertina book developed in Asia. Ellis has used collage, drawing, watercolour, and through the process of cutting windows in the paper; reveals differing aspects of the imagery, depending on how the book is opened or which sequence this double sided work is viewed. The work is a unique copy that researches the poetic possibilities of image associations that can be altered and interpreted by the viewer. This work was also included in the recent survey of the artist's work at the RMIT Gallery in 2013.The Australian National Gallery, the Queensland Art Gallery and the National Gallery of Vic, have acquired examples of Peter Ellis' artists books.