By Hand and Eye: Dance in the Space of the Artist’s Book is a practice-based research project that
explores what potential there might be for dancing, or an expanded notion of dance, to be
found and/or created in book form. For instance, how might a book dance, rehearse its
contents? What relationships can be found or forged between the body and the artist’s book:
the movement of the eye, the spacing of thought, temporality and duration, and the
choreography of the page?
These propositions have been explored and expanded through a tactile, experiential
examination of selected artists’ books from the National Art Library (NAL) of the Victoria &
Albert Museum, a translation/re-working of existing performances into book form, and the
creation of unique artist-made books. The project seeks to embody and enact concepts and
questions considered through the research; signalling, suggesting, amplifying, and marking,
gestures and rehearsals for movement.